Fort McMurray’s active total of COVID-19 cases is continuing to rise.
The province announced on Thursday 1,558 new cases in the province over the past 24 hours.
There are currently 24,586 active cases across Alberta, while there have been a total of 215,193 positive tests.
There are also 722 Albertans in the hospital for the virus, 177 of which are in ICUs.
Locally, Fort McMurray added 133 new cases and 122 recoveries in the past 24 hours which puts the active total at 1,526.
The rural areas added one new case and nine recoveries, lowering the total of active cases to 66.
Wood Buffalo National Park remains at one active case.
Fort McMurray remains the worst in the province when it comes to spread of the virus.
The community is averaging around 1,921 cases per 100,000 people.
The rural areas are now fourth, being passed by Lac La Biche County and the Municipal District Of Bighorn.
In total, 4,302 individuals across the RMWB – 4,097 in Fort McMurray, 195 in the rural areas, and 10 in Wood Buffalo National Park – have recovered.
They are among the 188,475 who’ve recovered across the province. This represents over 87 per cent of reported cases.
There were also nine new deaths from COVID-19 in Alberta over the past 24 hours – raising the total to 2,132.
To date, five individuals in Fort McMurray have died as a result of the virus.
Wearing A Mask
People will now need a medical note to avoid wearing a mask when out in public spaces.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, also announced on Thursday they’re bringing in this measure to ensure those who can wear one do so to help limit the spread of the virus.
Health exemptions include sensory processing, developmental delay/cognitive impairment, mental disorders, facial trauma and recent jaw surgery, allergy to masks, and respiratory distress.
There are also times and other exemptions for when individuals don’t need to wear a mask.
This includes when eating or drinking while sitting down, being unable to properly put on one by yourself, and if they can potentially create an occupational risk.
