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

41 new COVID cases in Lethbridge, eligibility for AstraZeneca vaccine expands

Mar 11, 2021 | 4:07 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Alberta Health Services has released its update on COVID-19 for Thursday, covering statistics compiled over the past 24 hours.

364 cases were confirmed across the province, bringing the total to 137,137. Of those, 4,488 cases are active while 130,716 people have recovered.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw stated that, starting Friday at 8:00 am, more Albertans will be able to book appointments for the Covidshield/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. This includes:

  • All Albertans born in 1957-1960 can book by using the AHS online booking tool or calling Health Link at 811
  • First Nations, Metis, Inuit born in 1972-1975 can book by calling Health Link at 811

Dr. Hinshaw also specified that Canada is using a different version of AstraZeneca’s vaccine than the one that has caused blood clotting in some people in the U.K.

The Great White North is using an altered version from India that has been proven to be safe.

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange announced the beginning of a COVID-19 RAPID testing pilot for schools.

They will begin in two schools in Calgary next week, and should the program be successful, it will be expanded elsewhere in the province.

Health Minister Tyler Shando says they will also deploy RAPID tests at the Cargill meatpacking plant in High River and other meat processing facilities in Alberta.

In the South Zone, 64 people tested positive including 41 in Lethbridge and 11 in Cardston County.

Active infections in Lethbridge rose by 29 to 335. They increased across the region by 42.

Since yesterday’s update, five Albertans died from COVID including three in the Edmonton Zone and one each in the South and North Zones. To date, 1,933 Albertans have died as a result of the virus.

The death in the South Zone was for a resident of North Lethbridge. LNN has reached out to AHS to learn more, including whether the death was linked to any outbreaks.

Provincially, 259 patients are currently hospitalized including 38 who have been admitted to intensive care.

With another 10,167 tests completed over the past day, there has now been a total of 3,502,457 tests conducted on 1,846,200 different people.

317,574 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the province as of the end of March 10. Approximately 91,000 people have received two doses.

Below is a graph of how COVID-19 cases in Alberta have trended since the start of the pandemic, which can also be accessed with more detail here.

Below is a breakdown of cases per regional health zone:

  • Edmonton Zone – 54,654 cases, 1,147 active
    • 75 in hospital, 11 in ICU
    • 983 deaths (three new)
  • Calgary Zone – 52,407 cases, 1,654 active
    • 93 in hospital, 15 in ICU
    • 594 deaths
  • North Zone – 12,566 cases, 813 active
    • 28 in hospital, one in ICU
    • 141 deaths (one new)
  • Central Zone – 10,526 cases, 431 active
    • 32 in hospital, seven in ICU
    • 117 deaths
  • South Zone – 6,886 cases, 438 active
    • 31 in hospital, four in ICU
    • 98 deaths (one new)

Below is a breakdown of cases in the South Health Zone:

  • Brooks – 1,364 cases (one new), three active, 14 deaths
  • Lethbridge – 2,408 cases (41 new), 335 active, 25 deaths (one new)
    • North Lethbridge – 805 cases (12 new), 147 active, four deaths (one new)
    • South Lethbridge – 802 cases (17 new), 92 active, 19 deaths
    • West Lethbridge – 800 cases (12 new), 95 active, two deaths
  • Cardston County – 653 cases (11 new), 54 active, 13 deaths
  • Medicine Hat – 562 cases (one new), 10 active, 17 deaths
  • Lethbridge County – 559 cases (six new), 16 active, seven deaths
  • M.D. of Taber – 341 cases, four active, six deaths
  • M.D. of Pincher Creek – 221 cases (two new), six active, five deaths
  • County of Warner – 163 cases, one active, three deaths
  • County of Newell – 161 cases (one new), two active, two deaths
  • Cypress County – 146 cases, one active, zero deaths
  • County of Forty Mile – 119 cases, two active, two deaths
  • Fort Macleod – 105 cases (one new), three active, four deaths
  • Crowsnest Pass – 24 cases, zero active, zero deaths