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Alberta reports 422 COVID-19 cases, 8 new deaths

Red Deer sits at 234 active cases of the virus, one new death
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Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw Hinshaw said Tuesday that Alberta Health Services has begun to administer monoclonal antibody treatment, Sotrovimab. (Photo by Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta)

Alberta chief medical officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw continues to be encouraged by the declining COVID-19 numbers in the province.

Alberta has 6,090 active COVID-19 cases overall, with 422 new cases Tuesday based on 8,330 tests for a positivity rate of about 5.1 per cent.

“This is a significant decline from the peak of our rolling seven-day average on Sept. 27 when it was 11.3 per cent,” Hinshaw said.

The Central zone has 1,110 active cases of the virus, with 124 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 11 in the ICU.

Meanwhile, Red Deer has 234 active cases, with 9,205 confirmed cases to date and 8,893 recovered. Red Deer added one new death and there have been 78 deaths in the city due to the implications of COVID-19.

There are 608 people in hospital provincially infected with the virus, including 128 in the ICU. According to Hinshaw, the odds of being hospitalized with COVID-19 are approximately eight times higher if you’re only partially vaccinated and 10 times higher if you’re unvaccinated.

“While we are headed in the right direction, I want to be clear that this is still a significant number of people in hospital, taxing our health care system,” Hinshaw said.

Over the past 24 hours, there have been eight new deaths due to the implications of COVID-19. The province also noted four previously reported deaths have been classified as “non-COVID.” Alberta’s death toll from COVID-19 is 3,159.

Hinshaw also noted Tuesday that Alberta Health Services has begun to administer monoclonal antibody treatment, Sotrovimab. It was only recently approved by Health Canada and must be administered within five days of symptoms showing.

“It is not a replacement for COVID-19 vaccines,” she said.

Hinshaw added the treatment will be rolled out in a phased approach, first to those vulnerable to serve COVID-19 outcomes. It has been used in Fort McMurray and surrounding areas.

“While this medication is helpful, it does not change the fact that vaccines continue to be our most important tool to protect both ourselves and others,” she said.

Alberta will also make a change to its Restrictions Exemption Program Monday. Starting Nov. 15, Albertans will have to present a vaccine record that includes a QR code. They can be printed at Alberta.ca or you can get your QR code printed at the nearest registry or mailed using 811.

According to geospatial mapping on the provincial government’s website, Lacombe has 81 active cases, Camrose has 74, Red Deer County and Lacombe County each have 66 active, Clearwater County has 62, and Mountain View County has 58.

Wetaskiwin has 51, Olds sits at 37 active, Sylvan Lake and Camrose County each have 31.

Wetaskiwin County, including Maskwacis, has 108 active, while Rimbey including West Ponoka County and parts of Lacombe County has 19. Ponoka, including East Ponoka County has 34 active.

There are active alerts or COVID-19 outbreaks in 211 schools across the province. Of those, only 10 schools had 10 or more COIVD-19 cases, who attended within the last 14 days while infectious.



byron.hackett@reddeeradvocate.com

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