COVID stats inch up in Athabasca area

ATHABASCA - The number of active COVID cases in the Athabasca region reached 27 Wednesday, with three more active cases being confirmed since Monday.

That brings the known number of cases since the declaration of the pandemic in March to 49, with 22 recovered.

The active case rate per 100,000 residents in the three municipalities now sits at 208.6, with a population of 13,196. The temporary face-covering bylaw adopted by both the Town of Athabasca and Athabasca County was activated at a rate of 50, and will be in effect for all indoor public spaces and vehicles until 14 days after the rate falls back to 50.

Numbers from the Village of Boyle are falling slowly after rising to 16 active cases over the weekend. Totals remain at 23 cases as it has since Sunday, losing an active tally to the recovered column on both Monday and Tuesday, according to figures on the Government of Alberta website's geospatial map. 

The Boyle area is also bordered to the southeast by Smoky Lake County whose numbers are still on the upswing, rising from 69 on Monday to 74 on Wednesday, and has an active case rate per 100,000 of 878.8. Aspen View Public Schools reported Wednesday it was informed of the ninth active case at H.A. Kostash School in Smoky Lake — the second in two days.

Aspen View identified nine students and four staff as close contacts that are now at home from the Tuesday case. Another 10 students and four staff did the same Wednesday with the newest case.

One more active case was also reported in the school division at Thorhild Central School resulting in 17 students and two staff having to go into isolation. 

Thorhild County has had just 13 cases overall, seven of which are now active. Aspen View oversee schools in four counties, and has dealt with at least one case in all four.

To the southwest in Westlock County, the number of active cases rose to 13 Wednesday. The active case rate is now at 95.1 per 100,000 residents. One man has died as a result of the virus there, and in the County of Barrhead, the map now shows two deaths in that area since Tuesday, but the number of active cases is down to five.

To the north of Athabasca County, the M.D. of Opportunity is at nine active cases and 62 recoveries with rate of 135.4. To the east, there are now two active cases in Lac La Biche County, it's first two outside the Hamlet of Lac La Biche, which now reports 64 active cases, 25 recoveries, and brings the whole county's case rate up to 650.2

A public health emergency was declared by Alberta premier Jason Kenney Nov. 24, which introduced a list of new mandatory measures regarding social gatherings, schooling and masks in workplaces, among others.

Alberta's chief medical officer of health Deena Hinshaw reported 1,685 new cases in Alberta bringing the active total to 17,144. There were also 20 more deaths since Monday, bringing that total to 561 — 504 others are in hospital, and 97 of those are in intensive care.