COVID-19 hospitalization rates in Alberta continue to remain low.
A Sunday, May 17, press release from the provincial government stated that there are 57 people currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, nine of whom have been admitted to intensive care units.
There have been 57 new cases of the virus identified in the province, bringing the total number of active COVID-19 cases in Alberta to 1,064.
An additional Albertan has died, 127 people have died in the province due to COVID-19.
A total of 5,453 Albertans have recovered from the virus.
The province has tested 196,309 people for COVID-19 and a total of 213,078 tests have been performed by the lab.
In the last 24-hours, 3,761 tests have been completed.
Public health measures for outside gatherings have been eased to allow for a maximum of 50 people to attend. Physically distancing must remain in place and attendees must follow proper hygiene practices and should not share food or drinks to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Indoor gatherings remain restricted to 15 people or less.
Alberta provincial parks are now open — however, some facilities remain closed and campfires are not currently permitted. Camping in parks will open on June 1.
During the May long weekend, the provincial government is asking Albertans to follow public health guidelines when visiting provincial parks, cottages or public land to help limit the spread of COVID-19 — this includes planning trips to limit visits to small communities, limiting the number of gas and food stops, practicing physical distancing, employing proper handwashing and respecting municipal public health restrictions.
Albertans are asked to download the ABTraceTogether app and use it when leaving the house to aid in the contact tracing of the virus — Secure contact tracing is a cornerstone of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy.
The app currently has 175,016 registered users.
