Second presumptive case of COVID-19 in Alberta, this time in Edmonton zone

EDMONTON, AB – Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health say a second Albertan is believed to have contracted novel coronavirus.

Dr. Deena Dinshaw reports that the man is in his 40’s and lives in the Edmonton area. Whether he is from the city or a surrounding community is not currently known.

The man was recently in Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio for a business trip and returned to Alberta on February 28. He is in isolation at his home.

“While I know some Albertans may be concerned by a second case, this is not unexpected,” says Dr. Dinshaw. “The risk to Albertans is still considered low. We have already isolated this individual and are taking swift action to implement immediate precautions to prevent the infection from spreading.”

The second case was detected on March 6. Health officials are working to identify close contacts to the man and will be asking them to self isolate as well.

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As a result of these developments, Alberta Health Service is expanding its coronavirus testing protocols.

“All travellers returning from outside of Canada are advised to monitor their symptoms,” reads a press release from the provincial government. “If they experience flu-related symptoms, such as a fever or a cough, they should self-isolate and call Health Link at 811 to arrange followup testing. Returning travellers should not visit emergency departments or urgent care centres for testing. Calling 811 is the best way to get quick assessment and testing.”

This only applies to returning travellers who are symptomatic with a fever or cough.

While the risk to Albertans is still considered to be low, Dr. Dinshaw says that may change in the coming weeks.

The first presumptive case of COVID-19 in Alberta was announced Thursday for a woman in Calgary. She works at ATB. The company has temporarily shut down two of its branches in Calgary where she often works. More details here.