WESTLOCK — Five more people tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday as the Westlock area passes 100 cases recorded since the start of the pandemic.
There are 27 active cases in the Town of Westlock, Westlock County and the Village of Clyde. One person, a resident at the Westlock Continuing Care Centre in his 90s, has died and 75 others have recovered, for a total of 103 cases recorded.
The outbreak continues at Continuing Care, where News staff learned today one more person tested positive. Alberta Health Services didn’t respond to requests for clarification on whether the sixth case was a resident or a staff member.
In Alberta, 1,738 new cases were reported today and 21,000 tests were performed in the last 24 hours. The positivity rate sits at 8.3 per cent, which continues to be high.
There are 20,161 active cases in the province.
“We cannot change the number of new cases being reported today and the cases we will see tomorrow are the result of how we behaved last week and the week before. But next week’s numbers and the week’s after that are in our control,” said Alberta’s chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw, who reminded Albertans to respect the restrictions.
Hospitalizations rose to 684, and 123 people are in ICU. Eighteen people have died since yesterday. The death toll in Alberta reached 684.
AHS limits visitors again
New limits on designated support persons have been placed in AHS facilities.
Starting Monday, only one person per patient is allowed in acute care units like ambulatory care, emergency, urgent care, maternity, or post-partum. In critical care, pediatrics and neo-natal ICU, up to two people are allowed.
Hinshaw said this is not too much of a change for many units across Alberta, but detailed information for each facility is available on the AHS website.
Ads put COVID in social gatherings
The province is launching a series of ads targeting people under 40 with humour to reach people who might’ve tuned out their messaging.
“I want the families of the 684 Albertans we have lost to this virus and everyone currently fighting it to know that we are using every communication tool to help stop the spread,” said Hinshaw.
The ads were filmed last month, under strict COVID-19 protocols. They’ll feature an animated Mr. COVID in social gatherings.
The “serious and fact-based campaign” will still continue but the new, funny ones are designed for people who have ignored those.
Andreea Resmerita, TownandCountryToday.com
