Fort McMurray’s active total of COVID-19 cases is slightly rising.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, announced on Monday 545 new cases over the past 24 hours across Alberta.
There are currently 7,922 active cases across Alberta, while there have been a total of 146,885 positive tests. There are also 288 Albertans in the hospital for the virus, 64 of which are in ICUs.
Locally, Fort McMurray added nine new cases and six recoveries which raises the active total to 105. One of the new cases is an individual with ties to Elsie Yanik with the school remaining open as all individuals needing to self-isolate will be contacted.
The rural areas didn’t see any changes in the past 24 hours, keeping the total of active cases at two.
Wood Buffalo National Park’s active total also remains at two.
In total, 1,927 individuals across the RMWB – 1,779 in Fort McMurray, 139 in the rural areas, and nine in Wood Buffalo National Park – have recovered.
They are among the 136,980 who’ve recovered across the province. This represents over 93 per cent of reported cases.
There were also no new deaths from COVID-19 in Alberta over the past 24 hours – keeping the total at 1,983.
To date, three individuals in Fort McMurray have died as a result of the virus.
COVID-19 Vaccine Update
The province is temporarily stopping people under the age of 55 from getting the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Dr. Hinshaw says this decision was made as there have been several concerns about the vaccine causing blood clots.
Those who already received it and are younger than 55 aren’t at high risk of developing a clot but are encouraged to watch for any issues.
She’s also reminding the public COVID-19 can also develop blood clots and other serious conditions on its own and everyone, when able, should get any of the approved vaccines.
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are continuing to be shipped to be normally used across the province.
Despite the setback to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the GoA is still moving forward with Phase 2B of its vaccine rollout plan.
It’s focused on individuals with underlying health conditions.
This includes cancer, heart, kidney, and liver diseases, diabetes, mental health illness, severe obesity, and more.
Individuals don’t need to prove their condition as registration will focus on the honour system.
Those in Edmonton, Calgary, and Red Deer are getting first priority with the rest of the province expected to move into the phase in the coming weeks.
More information about Phase 2B can be found on the GoA’s website.
