Twenty more Albertans have passed away from COVID-19, the most in one day so far.
On Monday afternoon, Chief Medical Officer of Health Deena Hinshaw said COVID-19 announced the record-setting numbers for the province.
An additional 860 new cases were diagnosed in the previous 24 hours, bringing the provincial total up to 10,031 cases, with 264 people in the hospital and 57 of those in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Some 65 per cent (93 regions) of Alberta's 142 regions are currently under an enhanced watch, and 81 per cent of the province's 70 ICU beds are in use.
“These are not just numbers. These are people. As our cases rise, our deaths will rise,” Hinshaw said.
“These measures in place right now are literally life or death."
The grim day comes on the heels of a record-setting weekend in the province, with Saturday's new COVID-19 cases hitting a new daily high of 1,026 diagnoses, the most the province has ever seen. Sunday’s new caseload was slightly lower 991 new cases.
Of the deaths in the last 24 hours, four people were in their 60s, three were in their 70s, six were in their 80s, six were in their 90s and one woman was over 100 years old. Fourteen of those deaths were linked to continuing care homes or health care facilities.
The current testing positivity rate in the province is sitting at seven per cent and in the last 24 hours Alberta ran 12,000 tests.
There are currently 309 schools with alerts or outbreaks and a total of 1,046 cases in schools. There has been transmission confirmed in 151 schools.
Hinshaw called on Albertans to redouble their efforts to slow to spread of the virus, asking people to stay home if they are sick, wash their hands, wear masks and social distance.
“These rising numbers we are seeing (are) straining our system in many ways,” Hinshaw said.
For every case diagnosed in the province, Hinshaw said the person has an average of 15 close contacts. With cases now hitting the 1,000 per day mark, Hinshaw said that means around 15,000 people have to be contacted every day, which is overwhelming the system. Until the province can hire more contract tracers, Albertans are asked to inform their own close contacts of their exposure to COVID-19.
Hinshaw said COVID-19 is not the seasonal flu and said the dangers and precautions that must be taken around COVID-19 strain the medical system.
“COVID is more dangerous than influenza both at an individual level and a population level,” Hinshaw said.
Hinshaw said COVID-19 impacts staffing at hospitals with members who have been exposed having to isolate and quarantine after an exposure, those with any symptoms having to stay home and as community transmission increases, healthcare workers become more exposed.
The top doctors said with outbreaks in continuing care facilities, residents cannot be transported from acute care, causing bottlenecks in the healthcare system.
“This is not an influenza season, this is a global pandemic,” Hinshaw said, adding there have been no influenza cases confirmed this season and Albertans have been getting the flu shot more than in an average year.
“We are in second wave at this point in time."
