Alberta adds 130 new cases of COVID-19, no deaths

Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided, from Edmonton on August 31, 2020, an update on COVID-19 and the ongoing work to protect public health. (photography by Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta)

EDMONTON — Alberta's top doctor reported 130 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday after 9,500 tests.

No Albertans died as a result of the coronavirus on Wednesday, keeping the death toll at 242.

There are 1,415 active cases of COVID-19 in Alberta. Calgary has the majority of current infections with 559 while Edmonton has 480.

Alberta has reported 14,310 cases of the disease since the pandemic began.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw will provide another COVID-19 update Friday afternoon.

NEW QUARANTINE GUIDELINES AT CONTINUING CARE FACILITIES

Hinshaw signed a new order to change quarantine guidelines at Alberta continuing care facilities.

Currently the length of the self-isolation period after a resident returns to his or her facility is calculated based on how long they were gone. Starting on Sept. 17, each facility will determine the length of a resident's quarantine depending on how risky their outing was — now how long.

Right now residents who go away overnight need to self-isolate for 14 days when they come back, but those that are gone for the day only need to wear a mask and screen their symptoms daily.

"We heard clearly that this did not serve residents well," Hinshaw said. "There are times when someone can leave the site for a weekend in a very low-risk way and times when a resident may choose to attend an event for only part of a day, such as a family wedding, that may put them at higher risk of exposure."

Hinshaw says the new order gives continuing care facility operators flexibility to adapt restrictions.