Edmonton continues to lead Alberta in number of active coronavirus cases

Aug 24 2020, 10:18 pm

Edmonton still has the highest number of active coronavirus infections of any health region in Alberta, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said Monday.

The province discovered 258 new known coronavirus cases over three days this weekend, bringing the total number of active infections in the province to 1,172. Health officials discovered 83 new cases Friday, 106 new cases Saturday, and 69 new cases Sunday.

The majority of active cases are in the Edmonton zone, with that area reporting 631 known active cases.

Two more people also died of coronavirus over the weekend, both of them residents at the Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre in Edmonton.

“My sympathies go out to all those who lost loved ones this weekend,” Hinshaw said.

Alberta’s top doctor said many of the new cases in Edmonton are linked to social gatherings. Although socializing is imperative for our mental health, Hinshaw implored Albertans to meet friends and family carefully.

“When we let our guard down, the virus has its opportunity,” she said.

She advised to meet friends and family outdoors, avoid sharing food, and wash hands often. She also asked people to keep a contact list for every family gathering they host, even if it might seem silly to write down relatives’ phone numbers.

She also asked families whose children are heading back to school to be vigilant about how close those children are to their grandparents. Although children often display mild symptoms when they catch coronavirus, they can still pass it on to older relatives who are more at risk for severe outcomes.

“While this is a sacrifice and it may be hard, it is the right thing to have these conversations as we move to the next phase of reopening,” she said.

She also spoke directly to young adults, asking them to realize the potential ramifications of hanging out with different groups of friends in a short time frame.

“You must keep your circle of friends small to protect others from the virus,” Hinshaw said. “We all still have a responsibility to protect each other.”

Megan DevlinMegan Devlin

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