Alberta reported a second death from the COVID-19 pandemic on March 24. A woman in her 80’s passed away at a continuing care facility in Calgary — the case appears to be community transmitted, but the source is unknown.
“Today’s report of a second death and the increasing number of affected Albertans is why these aggressive measures are in place and it is why every day, we are working together to ensure we are doing everything we can to stop the spread and keep each other safe. Every single Albertan has a role to play,” said Alberta’s chief medical officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw.
On March 24, there were 57 new cases reported in Alberta — this is the highest number of cases reported in the province in a single day. There are now 358 total cases, with three patients who have recovered. Of these cases, 28 are suspected to have been community transmitted — 19 patients are hospitalized, with seven in intensive care.
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The fatal case was in McKenzie Towne Long Term Care centre in Calgary. Hinshaw said the province is looking at ways to protect residents in long-term care facilities — she said plans are not yet finalized to combat an outbreak in a care facility. In Vancouver, 10 residents died from COVID-19 in the Lynn Valley care centre. In the Calgary facility, 11 additional residents have shown COVID-19 symptoms and three people tested positive — one staff member and two residents.
“I know that this is scary, but we will get through this. This isn’t just about the actions the government is taking — it’s down to each and every one of us. Practice social distancing if you go outside, even if you are just taking your dog for a walk,” said Hinshaw.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has started using social media to illustrate the importance of staying home and social distancing to Canadians — he began calling on celebrities to create short videos, telling citizens to stay home.
“The duration of this crisis will be determined by the decisions we make right now,” said Trudeau.
Lethbridge closed a number of park facilities this week, including playgrounds, fire pits and skateparks. The city encourages citizens to practice all social distancing measure recommends by the provincial and federal government — there are currently three confirmed cases in West Lethbridge and two in South Lethbridge, according to Alberta Health Services. There have been 1,627 tests done in the south zone of the province.
“The health and well-being of your family, friends and neighbours are at stake and we all owe it to each other to take this seriously and keep each other safe,” said Hinshaw.
