Jumat, 20 November 2020

‘Our situation is grim’: Alberta breaks daily record for COVID-19 cases Friday, sees 11 new deaths - Global News

Alberta confirmed 1,155 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, provincial officials said Friday.

“Our current situation is grim,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw said. She added this week, Alberta has confirmed more active cases than any other week since the pandemic began.

There are now 10,655 active cases in the province; 4,272 in the Calgary zone and 4,520 in the Edmonton zone.

Alberta’s positivity rate sits at 6.5 per cent.

There are 310 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19; 58 of whom are in intensive care units.

Eleven deaths connected to COVID-19 were reported Friday, bringing Alberta’s pandemic death toll to 462.

Read more: Alberta records new daily high of 1,105 COVID-19 cases Thursday, 8 additional deaths

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“Eleven fellow Albertans are gone and their family and friends are mourning their deaths,” Hinshaw said.

Seven of the deaths were linked to outbreaks: The deaths of a woman in her 90s, a woman in her 80s and a man in his 80s are linked to the Edmonton General Care Centre; the deaths of a woman in her 60s and a man in his 90s are linked to the Grey Nuns Community Hospital; the death of a woman in her 90s in the Edmonton zone is connected to Covenant Care Chateau Vitaline; and the death of a man in his 70s from the North zone is linked to Grande Prairie Care Centre.

A man in his 60s from the Edmonton zone, a man in his 60s from the South zone, a woman in her 70s from the Calgary zone and a man in his 80s from the Central zone also died.

Alberta Health said 32,835 people have recovered from the disease.

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Last Friday, the premier joined Hinshaw for the news conference, announcing new health measures in an attempt to lower COVID-19 rates and hospitalizations.

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Jason Kenney told people in Calgary, Edmonton and any community under the watch status on the province’s COVID-19 map to stop hosting social gatherings at home.

All businesses in a municipality under the watch status should have employees wear a mask unless the person is sitting at a desk or cubicle more than six feet away from another person, or there is a barrier in place between them.

Read more: New restrictions announced for Alberta as 860 COVID-19 cases, 10 deaths reported Thursday

On Nov. 12, the province announced indoor group fitness classes and team sports would be prohibited for two weeks from Nov. 13-27 in the Calgary area, Edmonton area, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge and Red Deer.

Restaurants and pubs in the above areas, as well as areas on “enhanced status” must stop liquor sales by 10 p.m. and close by 11 p.m. This measure will also be in place from Nov. 13-27.

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The mayor of Calgary doesn’t think the current restrictions are helping.

“We should have seen numbers go down by now,” Naheed Nenshi said during a 770 CHQR interview on The Morning News With Sue Deyell And Andrew Schultz on Friday.

“Typically we see the numbers respond — if they’re going to respond — within five to 14 days. Fourteen is really the outlier. And the fact that they haven’t responded is actually quite concerning.

“It’s not about panic or fear but it’s about being very clear-headed… about looking at these numbers and where they’re going.”

Read more: Further COVID-19 restrictions on social gatherings announced across much of Alberta

Nenshi said the most concerning numbers are the rising hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths. He said he spoke with Hinshaw and the premier earlier this week and they’re also very, very worried.

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“It’s very clear that they’re very concerned by these numbers. The premier continues to be concerned about particularly what will happen to retail businesses as we go into the Christmas season if we have more of a shutdown.

“But I think it’s pretty clear that more restrictive measures will be coming for the province sooner rather than later,” he said.

“I would not be at all surprised if they went with more restrictions prior to the end of the two-week period that they announced last week, especially with numbers like yesterday’s.”

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New initiative encourages Edmontonians to shop local

Whatever rules are in place, Nenshi is encouraging people to support local business as much as possible but in a safe way: shop online and order from a small local business using its website, delivery or curb-side pickup.

“A lot of businesses have been telling me: ‘Look, if you’re going to do this, please do it now so we have the opportunity to salvage some of the Christmas season… Get this over with. Don’t keep waiting,'” Nenshi said.

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Read more: B.C. to require masks in indoor, public places and extend ban on social gatherings province-wide

“Today, Ontario is going to announce more restrictions, there’s now a mask mandate in every province across the country except Alberta, so I imagine the pressure on the provincial government on this is pretty high.

“Let’s not wait for government to tell us the right thing to do,” he added. “It’s time for people to start restricting our activities now.”

© 2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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2020-11-20 23:00:29Z
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