82 new cases of COVID-19 in Alberta, 823 confirmed recoveries

Of the 1,651 cases, 44 people are currently in hospital, 14 of whom have been admitted to intensive care units (ICU).

237 cases are suspected of being due to community transmission.

Here’s a breakdown of the number of cases in each provincial health zone, with the number of deaths in parentheses:

· 1,046 cases in the Calgary zone (30) – 31,162 people tested

· 395 in the Edmonton zone (7) – 25,260 people tested

· 103 cases in the North zone (6) – 6,204 people tested

· 72 in the Central zone (1) – 6,980 people tested

· 31 cases in the South zone (0 deaths) – 3,806 people tested

· Four cases in zones yet to be confirmed – 1,297 people tested

In the South health zone, there are nine confirmed cases in the city of Lethbridge. Seven have recovered, with two considered active.

There is one case in the MD of Willow Creek, which is listed as recovered, two cases listed as recovered in the MD of Taber, two active cases in the County of Forty Mile. Five cases are active in Cypress County, and there are 11 cases in the city of Medicine Hat – seven are active, with four cases recovered.

According to the province, a new case was listed in the city of Brooks.

There are currently two active cases listed in Brooks, although the City previously noted that the patient has a Brooks address but does not currently live in Brooks.

There have been 74,709 people tested for COVID-19 in the province and a total of 77,316 tests performed by the lab.

2,038 tests were completed in the last 24 hours.

New measures announced by the province this weekend include having continuing care workers being required to wear masks at all times when providing direct patient care or working in patient care areas. That comes into effect on April 15.

Effective April 16, workers in long-term care and designated supportive living sites will only be allowed to work at one location. The province stated that this requirement must be fully implemented no later than April 23.

The province is contributing personal protective equipment (PPE) to Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.

READ MORE: Alberta sending PPE to Ontario, Quebec and B.C.

Alberta will also be launching a program to match, dollar-for-dollar, donations up to $2 million to Alberta-based charities. More details on that here.

The province has expanded access to COVID-19 laboratory tests to better trace the spread of the novel coronavirus in hard-hit areas and in vulnerable residents. Testing is being offered to four additional groups of people exhibiting symptoms of the virus, including cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat or shortness of breath:

· People living in the Calgary zone

· People who are 65 years or older

· People who live with someone aged 65 or older

· Essential workers whose workplaces remain accessible to the public

The full list of those eligible for testing can be seen here.

The Alberta Connects Contact Centre continues to operate over the long weekend and is available to residents from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., through April 13. Direct lines to specific services, like MyAlberta Digital Identity, are closed. Alberta should call 310-4455 for further assistance.

A 24-hour Family Violence Information Line is also available at 310-1818 so residents can receive anonymous help.

Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-402-8000 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in more than 170 languages. More details on this and other resources on family violence prevention are available here.

by Justin Goulet

82 new cases of COVID-19 in Alberta, 823 confirmed recoveries

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