The number of active COVID-19 cases within the County of Barrhead has dropped down to three, according to the geospatial map that lists all COVID-19 cases throughout Alberta.
In addition to the three active cases, there are 39 people listed as recovered within the county, as well as two deaths.
For comparison, there were seven active cases and 33 recoveries listed within the county on Dec. 17.
There are no active cases in Woodlands County, though the Town of Whitecourt is listed as having 14 active cases and 43 recoveries.
Lac Ste. Anne County has 56 active cases, 155 recoveries and a total of seven deaths.
Earlier in the day, Premier Jason Kenney announced there are currently 18,311 active cases of COVID-19 identified throughout Alberta, with 1,021 cases being identified in the last 24 hours.
A total of 802 Albertans are being treated in hospital, with 152 in intensive care. Eleven more deaths were reported, bringing the provincial death toll to 871.
“On behalf of all Albertans, I extend our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of each and everyone of those who have lost their lives to this virus all throughout the year,” he said.
Kenney announced a slight relaxing of restrictions in regards to single Albertans, who will be allowed to attend a single event at another household between Dec. 23-28.
During that same time, households will be allowed to host up to two single people for an event, he noted.
This small change was just adopted based on the advice of Health Minister Tyler Shandro with input from chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Kenney said.
“It will make a world of difference for single Albertans who otherwise would not be able to visit their families over Christmas,” said Kenney.
However, Kenney stressed that the prohibition on large social gatherings (indoor or outdoor) remains in place.
He noted that exceptional progress had been made in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in recent weeks, but there was still a long way to go.
Kenney echoed Dr. Hinshaw’s comments that the recent spike in COVID-19 cases can be linked to the family gatherings that took place around Thanksgiving.
“The broader spike in cases through social transmission clearly began at that point,” he said, noting that hospitalizations grew from a few dozen to more than eight hundred.
He stressed that if the province allowed large extended-family gatherings over Christmas, there is no doubt the progress made in recent weeks would be reversed.
“It wouldn’t take very much for those 800 cases in hospital to turn into 1,600, and for the 1,600 to turn into 3,200. And at that point, we would be completely overwhelming our health care system,” he said, noting there is extraordinary pressure on hospitals as is with 800 cases.
Kenney also reported that Alberta had received a second shipment of 25,350 Pfizer vaccine doses that will be offered to health care and long-term care workers around Alberta.
Calgary and Edmonton will each receive 6,825 vaccine doses, Red Deer will get 1,950 doses and the remaining 9,750 vaccines will be distributed to rural health care centres around the province.
He noted that since the first shipment of doses arrived last week, a total of 3,074 vaccinations had been administered to health care workers.
Health Minister Tyler Shandro also announced that a new exemption for patients to go to massage therapists if they have a prescription from a physician or a referral from another regulated health professional.
As well, there is also a new exemption for individuals who are at the end of their life to receive a visit from a faith leader, family member or friend.
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