OLDS — The significant rise in active COVID-19 cases in Olds and area is happening in a wide variety of settings, reports the Town of Olds acting director of emergency management.
As of the end of day on April 26, there were 112 active cases in the Olds local geographic area, nearing three times the number of active cases in the area at the height of the second wave experienced in early January at 39 cases. At 889.1 active cases per 100,000 population, the local geographic area is one of the hotspots in the province right now.
COVID-19 cases in Olds and area have risen “quite significantly” in the last few weeks, Jennifer Lutz told Olds town council in an update given on Monday, April 26.
"We are approximately 80 cases per 10,000 (population) so statistically we could be doing better,” Lutz said, citing end of day April 24 statistics that counted 100 active cases in Olds and area.
“But this is what happens with COVID. If it gets into a bit of an area you expect surges like this and it’s come to our town, so we’re seeing some surges.”
Lutz checked with Alberta Health and was told there was no specific outbreak responsible for the rise of cases in Olds. Cases had risen in a wide variety of settings, including schools, daycares, churches, workplaces and households.
On April, 16 First Baptist Church (FBC) Olds announced all in-person ministry would be suspended until May 1 “due to a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 positive cases identified among attendees at recent FBC Olds events” and “in an effort to minimize the potential impact of the measures associated with a confirmed case of COVID -19.”
The church was added to the province’s outbreak list last week. Non-healthcare workplaces, events, public settings (restaurants, salons and gyms) and sports activities are listed when there are 10 or more cases.
Sundial Growers remained on that list as well, although it is unclear how many cases are still active.
Boys and Girls Club of Olds and Area was temporarily closed on Monday, April 26 after three confirmed cases were identified in that organization’s community.
Tom Christensen, principal of Ecole Olds High School, notified parents and guardians on April 23 that he received notice of eight confirmed cases that week of COVID-19 among the Grade 11 and 12 classes at the school, forcing a “high number” of students into quarantine.
With the support of Alberta Education and Chinook’s Edge School Division, he said all classes in grades 11 and 12 would move to online instruction for the week of April 26 - April 30.
Ecole Olds High School and Olds Koinonia Christian School are currently listed as on outbreak status as having 10 or more cases in their school communities. And Olds’ middle school -- Ecole Deer Meadow School – hit the alert list recently. Schools are added to the alert list when there are between two and four cases in the school community.
Active cases in the Olds College community have dropped to four from recent highs of 14.
Lutz said Alberta Health Services (AHS) officials told her there are COVID-19 variants spreading in the community “but nothing that stands out from their perspective from their update to us.”
Lutz said as of April 26, one town staff member and two firefighters were isolating due to COVID “so our staffing numbers are pretty darn good, actually.”
Lutz noted five pharmacies in town are providing vaccinations and if people can’t get to them, they can call 811. She also said vaccines are also available in “larger centres that are fairly reasonable to get to as well.”
She said the town put in a request to obtain vaccination data per postal codes in order to get a better handle on how many Olds residents have been vaccinated. She hopes to report on that in the future.
Coun. Heather Ryan asked if the town could obtain a mobile vaccination clinic.
"We did check into that in March and we did get the response that with the five participating pharmacies and with the proximity to other locations that we were in good shape for vaccinations,” Lutz said.
“We could look into that again. I know that Sundre is doing a pilot, so things happen all the time,” she added.
“Might be worth following through on that,” Ryan replied.
Mayor Mike Muzychka admitted the COVID case numbers in Olds are “not great” but added he’s relieved that so far, they’re not concentrated in one area.
“I think we could probably be a little bit better situation than having one massive outbreak,” he said.
- With files from Lea Smaldon
