Alberta confirms 67 more cases of COVID-19; 27 patients have recovered

Three weeks since first Alberta case It has been three weeks since the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Alberta, and 67 new cases have been confirmed.

EDMONTON — Three weeks after Alberta confirmed its first case of COVID-19, the province announced another 67 cases Thursday, increasing the tally to 486.

Twenty-seven of the nearly 500 cases have recovered from the novel coronavirus, up from three a day before, Dr. Deena Hinshaw said Thursday. There are currently 459 ongoing confirmed cases.

"We're working on streamlining the process for reporting recovered cases and we expect this number will increase in the coming days," Hinshaw said.

There are currently 21 cases in hospital, including 10 in intensive care, Hinshaw said. At least 34 of the total cases were spread in the community.

Out of the 486 cases, 300 are in the Calgary zone, 111 in the Edmonton zone, 37 in the Central zone, 26 in the North zone and 12 in the South zone.

Hinshaw also said there are eight new cases of COVID-19 at Calgary's McKenzie Towne Long Term Care Centre, bringing the total number of cases there to 13.

The two Edmonton seniors' homes with confirmed cases have not had an increase.

HEALTH CARE WORKERS

Hinshaw also took time Thursday to thank all health care workers in the community for their hard work and for keeping Albertans healthy and safe during the pandemic.

"While it is a privilege to be seen by Albertans as the face of this response, there are countless unsung heroes behind the scenes," the chief medical officer of health said.

"I want to express my heartfelt admiration for all health care professionals in this province who are working to respond to this virus. They are on the frontlines working countless hours in difficult circumstances to slow the spread and keep us safe."

She also introduced a new online self-assessment for health care workers experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, such as fever, sore throat and cough.

Hinshaw maintained the coming weeks will continue to be challenging, and asked Albertans to practice good hygiene and physically isolate from others.

"Three weeks ago, our new normal became more real as we confirmed our first case," the doctor said. "I know it has impacted every one of us. It will continue to do so but we will rise to meet these new challenges in the days to come."

As of 4:10 p.m., there were 4,043 cases of COVID-19 and 39 deaths in Canada.