Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw. (Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko

119 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Alberta, prompting further provincial closures

Mar 18, 2020 | 6:00 PM

EDMONTON, AB – The Government of Alberta has announced that 22 additional cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed as of Wednesday, March 18.

This brings the provincial total to 119.

• 83 cases in the Calgary zone
• 27 cases in the Edmonton zone
• Four cases in the North zone
• Three cases in the Central zone
• Two cases in the South zone. In Tuesday’s report, only one case had been confirmed.

Of the 119 patients, six are currently hospitalized, three of which have been admitted to intensive care units.

If you believe you may be showing symptoms of COVID-19, you can complete the online self-assessment.

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More information on COVID-19, available supports, and what you can do can be found online here.

Multiple cases have been reported from attendees at the Pacific Dental Conference, which was held in Vancouver from March 5 to 7. Those who attended the conference should self-isolate for 14 days, as well as those who have been in contact with the attendees.

All non-urgent scheduled and elective surgeries in Alberta are being postponed. Alberta Health Services will be contacting Albertans scheduled for procedures and will reschedule as soon as possible.

All non-emergency dental treatment and services are also suspended at this time. Emergency dental treatment will continue.

Restrictions on mass gatherings, as outlined during Tuesday’s announcement of the provincial State of Public Health Emergency, remain in effect.

Effective Wednesday, March 18, all ski hills, including passenger ropeways like gondolas and chairlifts, are closed until further notice under the Safety Codes Act.

Parks and recreation areas

Alberta Parks sites remain accessible, but the public is prohibited from using facilities within the parks. This includes toilets, picnic areas, and park warm-up shelters. This is consistent with national parks.

While using the parks, Albertans are reminded to practice appropriate social distancing: https://albertaparks.ca/albertaparksca/news-events/alberta-environment-and-parks-response-to-covid-19/.

Backcountry and Kananaskis enthusiasts are strongly encouraged to choose activities that are low-risk during the COVID-19 response and to stay in areas that support emergency access and present minimal challenges and/or hazards. Backcountry assistance has the potential to add unnecessary stress to the health-care system and put public safety staff at risk (including exposure to COVID-19) which could then impact resources to support search and rescue.

Service Alberta front counter closures

Service Alberta has temporarily closed front counter, in-person access for some services in Edmonton and Calgary. Services remain operational and available, but Albertans should not visit the physical locations for Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service, Corporate Registry and Land Titles, Consumer Investigations & Programs, and Surplus Sales. Call 310-0000 or visit alberta.ca for more information.

Information for travellers

Travel outside the country is strongly discouraged. Given the rapid global spread of the virus, it is no longer possible to assess health risks for the duration of the trip.

Any traveller returning from outside of the country should self-isolate for 14 days, even if they are feeling well, and monitor for symptoms.

Any traveller who has returned before March 12 should closely monitor themselves for symptoms. If they experience symptoms, they should self-isolate immediately and call Health Link 811 for follow-up assessment and testing.

The Alberta government and Travel Alberta have launched a campaign to inform Canadians travelling in the United States and Mexico about the importance of returning home.

COVID-19-related information has been provided for departing and returning passengers at the international airports in both Edmonton and Calgary. This information has also been shared with all airports in Alberta and several airlines.