Active COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the City of Wetaskiwin and County of Wetaskiwin.
The Government of Alberta is reporting 63 active cases for the City of Wetaskiwin and 26 active cases in the County of Wetaskiwin.
Maskwacis Health Services is reporting 65 active cases, 52 of which are variant cases in Maskwacis.
In a recent municipality COVID update attended by the County of Wetaskiwin’s CAO and Assistant CAO, Alberta Health Services said that approximately 50 per cent of all active cases in the Wetaskiwin, Ponoka and Lacombe areas are variant cases.
County Council had plans to resume in person council meetings for the April 6, 2021 council meeting but had to revert to Zoom council meetings due to rising case numbers in the area.
As of April 7, 2021 the County of Wetaskiwin has confirmed that three County staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, one of the confirmed cases being identified as a variant strain.
In a press release the County states, “The County is continuing to encourage everyone to follow the guidelines and mandates of AHS including staying home if you are sick, avoiding crowds, maintaining physical distancing, wearing a mask when in public and washing your hands frequently. The County thanks all citizens for their cooperation and understanding as we all navigate through the continued COVID-19 Pandemic.”
The County of Wetaskiwin Office remains open to the public but the County is asking individuals to limit their visits for essential matters only and use alternative means to connect with the County including by email, phone, payment drop-off, mail and online payment options.
The rise in COVID-19 cases across the County and City of Wetaskiwin comes with a rise in cases across the province.
Tuesday April 6, Premier Jason Kenney announced further restrictions for Alberta to try and reduce the impact of the third wave.
The measures lower capacity for retail stores and malls, lose libraries and only allow one-on-one training at gyms. As of noon on Friday in-person dining at restaurants will be closed except for patios.
“Even at the height of the second wave back in December, we topped out at just under 1,900 cases a day. We are well on our way to exceeding that,” Kenney said.
“To be blunt, this wave is here. These trends will threaten the maximum capacity of our health care system by next month, right while we are reaching a critical mass of vaccination.”
shaela.dansereau@pipestoneflyer.ca
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