WESTLOCK — The rise in COVID-19 cases continues for the Westlock area, where an additional six cases were recorded in the last 24 hours.
In total, there are 23 active cases and 33 people have recovered. No deaths have been reported. The rate of infection sits at 168.2 per 100,000.
Alberta Health Services modified the area’s status from ‘watch list’ to ‘enhanced’ Nov. 10, and new two-week mandatory measures were announced by the provincial government yesterday: bars, restaurants, pubs and lounges must close by 11 p.m.; churches have to restrict attendance to a third of the building’s capacity; and wedding and funeral services have been restricted to 50 people.
The Town of Westlock, Westlock County and the Village of Clyde are all included in the Westlock area coverage and all measures apply to the three municipalities.
Although rec facilities like the Rotary Spirit Centre in Westlock remain open, hockey games in Barrhead, Athabasca and Westlock have been cancelled for at least the next two weeks.
The Northern Alberta Interlock minor hockey league made the announcement on its website: “It just affects too many of our teams and we are respecting the pause for Alberta to get the numbers down so that we can enjoy hockey in the future.”
Westlock Minor Hockey Association president Aaron McNelly told the News on Friday their teams will continue practicing. The same goes for the Pembina Ringette Association, which has suspended league play but will continue to practice.
The increase in cases continues across the province, with new records in almost all COVID-19 metrics.
An additional 907 cases were recorded since yesterday, hospitalizations have gone up to 240, and ICU capacity is at 77 per cent with 54 of the 70 COVID-allocated beds in use.
Five more people have died in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll in Alberta to 398.
