Health Minister Tyler Shandro. (Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko

Province looks to more than double COVID-19 testing through $4.5-million investment

May 5, 2020 | 4:05 PM

EDMONTON, AB – The Government of Alberta looks to conduct as many as 16,000 COVID-19 tests every day by June.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro says they are paying $4.7-million for new testing technology and equipment. Included in that amount is a $1.7-million contribution from the Calgary Health Trust.

“With this new testing technology, Albertans have another way to help us flatten the curve and protect our most vulnerable citizens,” says Health Minister Tyler Shandro. “By getting tested and providing invaluable data to health professionals, we can have the best possible information to guide and evaluate our relaunch actions.”

Currently, an average of 7,000 tests are conducted every day in Alberta, and as of Tuesday, May 5, a total of 167,015 people have been tested.

The new equipment will be located at sites around the province where they are needed most.

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“As the charity partner for Calgary’s major hospitals and care centres, we are committed to making significant investments in areas that will have substantial impact on COVID-19 efforts,” says Calgary Health Trust President and CEO Mike Meldrum. “We’re working alongside Alberta Health Services daily to understand how the community can best support the pandemic response during these unprecedented times.”

Shandro says Alberta’s ability to conduct widespread and rapid testing will help to determine when they are ready to ease COVID-19 restrictions and reopen more parts of the economy.

READ MORE: Alberta announces phased economic relaunch strategy

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided her daily update on COVID-19 around the province as of Tuesday.

Another 57 infections have been confirmed across the province, which is one of the lowest single-day increases in weeks, bringing the total to 5,893.

Over half of all people who have contracted the virus have now fully recovered, as that number has reached 3,219.

The virus has claimed the lives of another two people in the Calgary Health Zone, meaning 106 Albertans have now died as a result of COVID-19.

While 949 workers at the Cargill meatpacking plant in High River have tested positive to date, 810 of them have fully recovered.

Another 487 employees at JBS in Brooks have also contracted the virus.

The COVID-19 breakdown by regional health zone is as follows:

• Calgary zone – 3,957 cases, 72 deaths (two new)
  • 70,607 tests
• South zone – 1,094 cases, six deaths
  • 12,825 tests
• Edmonton zone – 502 cases, 12 deaths
  • 45,671 tests
• North zone – 221 cases, 15 deaths
  • 12,134 tests
• Central zone – 89 cases, one death
  • 12,874 test

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

• Brooks – 1,005 cases (seven new), 296 recovered, five deaths
• Medicine Hat – 33 cases, 22 recovered
• Lethbridge – 18 cases (one new), 12 recovered
  • South Lethbridge – nine cases (one new), five recovered
  • West Lethbridge – seven cases, seven recovered
  • North Lethbridge – two cases
• County of Newell – 11 cases, three recovered
• Cypress County – nine cases, seven recovered
• Cardston County – five cases
• Fort Macleod – two cases
• M.D. of Taber – two cases, two recovered
• County of Forty Mile – two cases, two recovered
• Lethbridge County – one case, one recovered

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