EDMONTON — Alberta's chief medical officer of health says the dip in COVID-19 cases over the long weekend appears to show that people are following public health guidelines about physical distancing and wearing masks.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw says Alberta's case numbers have been below 100 for four days straight.
She says the downward trend began Friday with 97 new cases, followed by 67 new cases reported Saturday, 74 on Sunday and 65 on Monday.
Bylaws requiring masks be worn in public places went into effect in both Edmonton and Calgary on Saturday.
Hinshaw also reported five new deaths, bringing Alberta's total to 201 since the pandemic began.
She says three of the five deaths were at the Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre in Edmonton, which has become the deadliest outbreak in the province.
The facility is reporting 24 deaths on its website on Tuesday. There have been 112 cases at the centre — 80 residents and 32 staff — since the outbreak began July 17.
Currently, there are 42 active cases among residents and 20 among staff members.
"This outbreak underlines the importance of our collective efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the most vulnerable members of our community," Hinshaw said.
"Part of this protection requires continually evaluating our response efforts and using the best available evidence to update our approach when warranted."
The most recent update reported 1,191 active cases in the province, down from the 1,386 cases reported before the long weekend.
Hinshaw said there were 85 people being treated in Alberta hospitals, 23 of them in intensive care.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020
The Canadian Press
