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

By David Opinko

South Zone COVID-19 infections surpass 1,000, four new cases in Lethbridge

May 1, 2020 | 4:11 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – More than 1,000 people in the South Health Zone have tested positive for COVID-19.

That is from the provincial government’s latest update on the virus as of Friday, May 1.

Across Alberta, 218 new cases have been confirmed, bringing the provincial total to 5,573.

153,766 people have been tested while 2,359 patients have fully recovered.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw commented on this week’s announcement of new measures that are now in place in continuing care centres.

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“I did not ensure that operators had been fully consulted or notified prior to the policy change. I’m sorry. This has put operators in a difficult decision as they did not have time to prepare.”

In these facilities, 580 residents and employees have tested positive for COVID-19.

Another three deaths related to the virus have been confirmed, all three of which occurred at continuing care centres. This means that 92 Albertans have lost their lives due to COVID-19.

An outbreak has been declared at the Amazon fulfillment centre in Balzac just north of Calgary.

“Five cases have now been reported at that facility, although it is not yet clear if all five are linked with a common exposure.”

921 workers at the Cargill meatpacking plant in High River have tested positive. Another 390 cases have been confirmed at JBS in Brooks.

Dr. Hinshaw commended staff who have been working to manage outbreaks at these two plants.

“In the last two weeks alone, these teams, among other things, have called every household with Cargill worker, have tested every client who stayed in one of the shelters where a COVID case has been confirmed, have offered large-volume testing to residents of Brooks over three days earlier this week, and have continued to do the regular daily work of case follow up and contact tracing that is the backbone of our ability to prevent the spread of this virus.”

The breakdown by regional health zone is as follows:

• Calgary zone – 3,708 cases, 59 deaths (two new)
  • 64,729 tests
• South zone – 1,033 cases, four deaths
  • 12,130 tests
  • In Thursday’s update the province said there were six COVID-19 deaths. This appears to be a correction of those numbers
• Edmonton zone – 498 cases, 12 deaths
  • 42,322 tests
• North zone – 215 cases, 15 deaths (one new)
  • 11,249 tests
• Central zone – 87 cases, one death
  • 12,075 tests

The breakdown for the South Health Zone by community is as follows:

• Brooks – 950 cases (78 new), 100 recovered, four deaths
• Medicine Hat – 31 cases (two new), 15 recovered
• Lethbridge – 17 cases (four new), 10 recovered
  • South Lethbridge – eight cases (two new), five recovered
  • West Lethbridge – seven cases, five recovered
  • North Lethbridge – two cases (two new)
• County of Newell – 11 cases, one recovered
• Cypress County – eight cases
• Cardston County – five cases (two new)
• M.D. of Taber – two cases, two recovered
• County of Forty Mile – two cases, two recovered
• Lethbridge County – one case, one recovered
• Fort Macleod – one case (one new)