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COVID-19: Central zone active cases up by two Tuesday

City of Red Deer active cases same as Monday
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The Alberta government confirmed 89 COVID-19 cases Tuesday.

That brings the total number of active cases to 1,169, an increase of 37 from Monday’s 1,132. Overall, 225 people have died from the virus since the start of the pandemic.

With the school year fast approaching, the provincial government said as a part of its announcement Tuesday that they have expanded the asymptomatic testing program.

As of Sept. 1, Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw pharmacies in the Real Canadian Superstore and all of its other pharmacies in Alberta (including pharmacies at Independent Foods, Extra Foods, City Market, and No Frills) will offer asymptomatic COVID-19 testing.

The province has completed more than 837,649 COVID-19 since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Testing is a powerful tool that helps us limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect people from infection,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Chief Medical Officer of Health.

“Expanded testing capacity will support additional testing opportunities for all Albertans, including school teachers and staff. This will provide a baseline for school re-entry and enhance access throughout the school year.”

The number of active cases in the central zone went up by two to 87 from Monday’s 85. The number of recovered cases remained at 470 – same as Monday.

Three people remain in hospital in the local zone.

The number of active cases in the City of Red Deer is at 14 – same as Monday.

Red Deer County, City of Lacombe and Mountain View County have one active case each.

Lacombe County sits at four active, County of Stettler at six and Rocky View County at four.

The Town of Sylvan Lake, Olds, Ponoka County, Wetaskiwin County and the City of Wetaskiwin had no active cases Tuesday.

In the Edmonton zone, there are now 636 active cases of the virus, with 22 people in hospital and seven in the ICU. The Calgary zone has 295 cases, with 12 people in hospital and one in ICU.

A recent survey from the Angus Reid Institute about COVID-19 said nearly 47 per cent of Canadians polled follow virus suppression behaviours carefully.

About 36 per cent are taking a half in, half out approach and the remaining 18 per cent, or about one-in-five Canadians are ambivalent towards handwashing and mask-wearing. According to the study, that last group also showed clear disdain for the way public health officials and political leaders have dealt with the pandemic.

In Alberta, 37 per cent of people polled followed the guidance carefully, while 35 per cent were half in and 28 per cent were ambivalent towards handwashing and mask-wearing. That means about three-in-then Albertans are “cynical spreaders” or among those who are trusting of the public health data or political leaders guidance during the pandemic, according to the study.

“While cynical spreaders acknowledge and praise the efforts of front-line health workers throughout the pandemic, this is as far as it goes,” the study states.

“Just half of this group (52 per cent) say their provincial chief public health officer or premier have done a good job.”



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Byron Hackett

About the Author: Byron Hackett

Byron has been the sports reporter at the advocate since December of 2016. He likes to spend his time in cold hockey arenas accompanied by luke warm, watered down coffee.
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