How Brooks went from over 1,300 active COVID cases to zero

Throughout the pandemic, Morishita said the city took swift action early on to ensure everyone knew exactly what the public health measures were. Multilingual communications were created across multiple platforms to help everyone in the City of 100 Hellos understand public health orders.

“We took what Alberta Health Services was saying with the public health orders, and we tried to make sure they were understood at a local level, and then we tried to be good examples in the City as well. But I think it was messaging.”

The city also pushed hard to ensure spread was mitigated. Over $300,000 was spent on isolation spaces and asymptomatic testing centres.

“We took that initiative on because we knew it had to happen. The citizens of Brooks showed up in force to be tested, they showed up in force to the idea of the isolation spaces,” Morishita said.

The City’s efforts to contain spread to zero cases is praised by infectious disease researchers.

“I think their response to a high viral load was effective and I think places could learn from that,” said Dr. Craig Jenne, infectious disease researcher with the University of Calgary.

Dr. Jenne said the impact of the virus on the city’s small population may have played a role in getting case numbers down.

“Tragically, Brooks had a lot of cases in a small community all at the same time, and I think that really brought the threat of the virus to the forefront, I don’t think there were a lot of people in the Brooks area who were not directly affected by the virus either through their own families or simply knowing somebody,” Dr. Jenne said.

“I think in larger cities where we do see high viral numbers or hospitalizations, many people have that social disconnect that they don’t see the individuals themselves or don’t know the family.”

Dr. Jenne noted the city’s ability to follow public health orders to properly self-isolate likely was a significant contributor.

“Isolating is probably our single best defence against uncontrolled viral spread.” Dr. Jenne said.

“In the absence of another means of stopping the virus from person to person [through vaccines]. Really, the only way to limit the spread is to ensure those who are infected are not passing that virus to other people,” he said.

Asymptomatic testing offered through the community’s testing centres could have also been a key component.

“Unfortunately, this virus, unlike other really nasty bugs, has a long period of time where you have the virus, you may be infectious, and you don’t yet know you’re infected. You are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. That makes it really difficult for someone to stay home when they are not feeling well, and we need to identify people who have been exposed,” Dr. Jenne said.

As for if the mayor of Brooks has any advice for other communities dealing with high case numbers, Mayor Morishita said it all comes down to commitment.

“I think you have to demand things from the community but you also have to take initiatives. With the testing centre, we really, really, pushed hard on the provincial government to do that, and that came through. The isolation centre was something that we knew had to be done and we didn’t wait for people to give us money to do it. We knew it had to happen,” Morishita said.

With zero active cases, the city is pushing the province for a more regional approach to restrictions. They have followed Medicine Hat’s lead in writing the premier.

by Tiffany Goodwein

How Brooks went from over 1,300 active COVID cases to zero

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