COVID-19. (Alberta Health Services)

By David Opinko

Province allows limited singing & wind instruments during pandemic

Sep 11, 2020 | 3:53 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The province has released Friday’s report on COVID-19, detailing the numbers over the past 24 hours.

111 cases were confirmed across the province, bringing the total to 15,415. Of those, 1,444 cases are active while 13,718 people have recovered.

This includes just three more infections in the South Health Zone with two of those being in West Lethbridge and one in Lethbridge County.

There were no additional COVID-19 deaths in the province, meaning it has still claimed the lives of 253 people.

Provincially, 41 patients are currently hospitalized and six have been admitted to intensive care units.

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1,084,670 tests have been completed among 846,551 different people.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw says, originally, the government severely limited indoor singing and the use of wind instruments, as it looked like there might be some unique risks to spreading COVID-19.

“After reviewing the spread of the virus and measures in place in other jurisdictions, we have seen emerging evidence that these activities can be done safely if rigorous and proper precautions are in place.”

Therefore, the province has updated its guidelines for these activities, allowing limited band practices, singing, and wind instrument concerns to occur provided distancing, enhanced cleaning, and other precautions are implemented.

Choirs may begin again with maximum size limits and masking while singing.

“However, audience singing is still not allowed and congregational singing in faith settings is still discouraged,” adds Hinshaw. “This is because it is easier to ensure that all guidance is rigorously and regularly applied with smaller groups while singing in a longer group could lead to large transmission events.”

Hinshaw added that dance floors are still not permitted.

The regional breakdown for COVID-19 in Alberta is as follows:

• Calgary zone – 8,018 cases, 560 active
  • 120 deaths
  • 343,465 tests
• Edmonton zone – 3,772 cases, 580 active
  • 68 deaths
  • 279,760 tests
• South zone – 1,777 cases, 38 active
  • 25 deaths
  • 58,104 tests
• North zone – 1,179 cases, 213 active
  • 33 deaths
  • 78,577 tests
• Central zone – 631 cases, 45 active
  • Seven deaths
  • 71,586 tests

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

• Brooks – 1,128 cases, two active, nine deaths
• Lethbridge – 166 cases (two new), 11 active, two deaths
  • West Lethbridge – 67 cases (two new), eight active, one death
  • South Lethbridge – 59 cases, two active
  • North Lethbridge – 40 cases, one active, one death
• Cardston County – 105 cases (one new), four active, five deaths
• Medicine Hat – 72 cases, three active, two deaths
• County of Warner – 62 cases, three active, one death
• Lethbridge County – 42 cases (one new), 10 active
• M.D. of Taber – 39 cases, zero active
• Fort Macleod – 33 cases, zero active, three deaths
• County of Newell – 32 cases, zero active, two deaths
• Cypress County – 31 cases, zero active
• M.D. of Pincher Creek – 26 cases, zero active, one death
• County of Forty Mile – 25 cases, four active
• Crowsnest Pass – Two cases, zero active