Alberta’s COVID-19 cases rise by 98 to 1348; deaths are at 24 and recoveries increase to 361

Above is the April 6 briefing from the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

by Morinville News Staff

Alberta added another 98 COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the provincial total to 1348, 60.6% of which are in Calgary Zone. A total of 953 cases are laboratory confirmed and 395 are probable cases (symptomatic close contacts of laboratory confirmed cases).

Recoveries in the province have risen to 361, an increase of 82 since Sunday’s update. The new provincial total of 1348 includes the 361 recoveries and 24 deaths. Of the provincial cases, 204 are now believed to be community transmissions.

Alberta continues to test higher per capita than any other North American jurisdiction. To date, Alberta has conducted 65,914 tests, of which approximately 2 per cent have been positive for COVID-19.

Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced during Monday’s briefing that effective Tuesday morning, testing will be expanded to include anyone over 65 who is experiencing a fever, cough or runny nose.

Currently, 40 people are in hospital, 16 of those are in intensive care units (ICU). To date, 90 Albertans have been hospitalized, and 31 have been sent to ICU. The hospitalization rate stands at approximately 3 per cent and ICU cases at 2.2 per cent.

Monday saw another death in Alberta, a woman in her 80s at the McKenzie Town Centre Continuing Care Centre in Calgary. This brings the total deaths at that facility to 11, almost half of the province’s 24 deaths to date.

Sturgeon County & St. Albert Numbers

Alberta Health’s geographical data for April 6 has changed how it shows Sturgeon County, combining east and west into one number and adding details on recoveries. That new number shows nine cases in Sturgeon County and its municipalities, five of whom have recovered. There have been no COVID-19 deaths in Sturgeon. St. Albert has 27 cases, of which seven have recovered. St. Albert also has had no COVID-19-related deaths.

Please note, MorinvilleNews.com is not able to determine how many cases are specific to Morinville. The Chief Medical Officer has made it clear that Alberta Health will not reveal details beyond the geographical areas outlined in the daily update identifying Sturgeon East and Sturgeon West.

Up-to-the-minute information on COVID-19 in Alberta is available at https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx?.

Local information on Morinville’s handling of the pandemic is online at http://morinville.ca/covid19.