Alberta’s COVID-19 death toll climbed to 383 on Wednesday after another seven deaths were reported for the third consecutive day.
An additional 672 COVID-19 infections were also reported. Due to Remembrance Day, the province did not update its COVID-19 data on active case counts.
As of Tuesday, there were 8,090 active cases in the province after an additional 713 infections were identified.
The province is dealing with another rash of care home outbreaks as numbers spike.
At least 66 residents at the Mount Royal Care Centre in Calgary have contracted COVID-19 since Oct. 18, according to Revera, the agency that oversees the facility. Six of those patients have since died and 17 have recovered.
Additionally, 29 staff members have tested positive and are in self-isolation.
Dr. Rhonda Collins, Revera’s chief medical officer, said in a statement Tuesday the agency is working closely with Alberta Health Services to respond to the outbreak.
“All residents are isolated to their rooms and monitored closely for symptoms twice daily,” said Collins. “All staff are screened at the beginning and end of their shifts and are required to wear an appropriate mask and eye protection in the home.”
She said staff have also enhanced cleaning procedures, disallowed visitors from entering the care home and are serving meals in the residents’ rooms.
Several other care homes operated by Revera are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, including the South Terrace Continuing Care Centre in Edmonton, where there have been 66 confirmed cases in residents and another 66 among staff, according to the agency. Ten residents have died.
The province did not update its outbreak locations Wednesday, but there were 42 sites in the Calgary zone under watch as of Tuesday. Nineteen of those are connected to acute, long-term and supportive-living facilities.
Deaths announced Wednesday include a woman in her 80s connected to the outbreak at Spruce Lodge in northeast Calgary and, in the Edmonton Zone, two women in their 80s and a man in his 70s, two of which are connected to outbreak sites.
Additionally, a woman in her 60s from the South Zone, a woman in her 70s from the North Zone and a man in his 90s linked to the outbreak at Mayerthorpe Extendicare in the North Zone have died.
There were 217 people in hospital and 46 in intensive-care units, up from 207 and 43, respectively, on Tuesday.
The province did not provide laboratory testing data in Wednesday’s update “due to technical issues.” Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, is scheduled to address the province on Thursday with additional details.
