Three new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Alberta, bringing the total to seven.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, announced the three new cases today (Monday, March 9).
She said more than 1,000 people have been tested for the virus in Alberta and the seven who have tested positive are from Edmonton and Calgary zones - none have been confirmed in Jasper.
“These cases were detected thanks to the aggressive public health measures and expanded testing that we have put in place," she said.
"By acting quickly to isolate close contacts of COVID-19 cases, we help prevent the virus’s spread and protect Albertans.
"While additional cases will likely be detected in the coming days, Albertans can trust that we are doing everything we can to protect their health.”
Case 5 is a woman in her seventies who lives in the Edmonton zone. She is a close contact of an Edmonton zone man with COVID-19, who was announced on March 8. She was also on-board a Grand Princess Cruise before returning home on Feb. 21. Her symptoms started after returning to Alberta.
Case 6 is a man in his thirties from the Calgary zone. He is a close contact of the Calgary zone woman announced as a case of COVID-19 on March 8. He had travelled to Ukraine, Netherlands and Turkey and returned to Alberta on March 2. His symptoms started after his return.
Case 7 is a woman in her fifties from the Calgary zone. She was on-board the MS Braemar cruise ship from Feb. 11 to March 4. She developed symptoms after her return home and was tested at an assessment centre on March 8.
Public health investigations into these new cases are underway. Close contacts have been identified and are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days. These individuals will be monitored for symptoms during this time.
All cases of COVID-19 announced in Alberta are now confirmed. Positive samples tested by Alberta laboratories no longer require further confirmation from the National Microbiology Laboratory.
Alberta continues to ask all returning travellers from outside Canada to monitor their health and, if they experience symptoms of fever or cough, to immediately self-isolate and call Health Link 811.
Anyone who is feeling ill should stay home and not visit hospitals, long-term care facilities or supportive living accommodations. People in these locations are at the highest risk of complications from COVID-19, influenza and other respiratory viruses.
COVID-19 in Alberta
The first case reported in Alberta was a woman in her 50s from the Calgary zone. She had recently returned from travel on board a Grand Princess cruise ship in California. Officials detected the case on March 5.
The second case was a man in his 40s from Edmonton who had recently returned from travel in the United States. He had visited Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio, before returning to Alberta on Feb 28.
The third and fourth cases, announced March 8, were an Edmonton man in his 60s who had recently been on a Grand Princess Cruise and a Calgary woman in her 30s who is a close contact of someone who had recently travelled in Europe, including visits to Ukraine, Turkey and the Netherlands.
The risk of catching COVID-19 in Alberta remains low at this time but the province is undergoing widespread testing and aggressive public health measures.
All returning travellers are being asked to monitor their health and, if they experience symptoms, to immediately self-isolate and call Health Link 811.
