Ten additional COVID-19 deaths, cases rise by 1,307 in Alberta
Posted Dec 1, 2020 3:40 pm.
Last Updated Dec 2, 2020 8:10 am.
EDMONTON (660 NEWS) – The province is reporting 10 additional deaths related to COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing Alberta’s death toll to 551.
During Tuesday’s provincial update, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw confirmed 1,307 new cases of the virus.
There are 16,628 active cases of the virus across the province.
The Edmonton zone is leading the province in active cases with 7,552, while the Calgary zone has 6,162.
The new deaths include: pic.twitter.com/2ebvZsbW8p
— Jeff Slack (@Jeffslack660) December 1, 2020
Nearly 480 Albertans are in hospitals across the province, with 97 of those admitted to ICUs.
As the calendar turns to December Hinshaw warns against planning any big holiday gatherings.
“It’s been a long hard year and I know how important these holidays are to Albertans. But in a year that is anything but typical, how we celebrate won’t be typical either,” she said.
“We don’t yet know exactly what restrictions will be in place during the last week of December. Cabinet will make those decisions later on this month.”
Previous holidays, such as Thanksgiving, have resulted in an increase in cases and outbreaks across the province.
“Thanksgiving gatherings were an accelerator of spread and the impact is still being felt,” Hinshaw said.
New cases by region:
Edmonton zone: +660
Calgary zone: +431
Central: +97
South: +42
North:+94#yeg #yyc #ableg #covid19ab pic.twitter.com/1ulwUe2Hwc— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) December 1, 2020
“The bottom line is that it only takes one person to start an outbreak. The higher the rate of community transmission the more risky these gatherings can be, and our transmission is higher than ever before.”
To celebrate safely, Hinshaw urges Albertans to hold virtual celebrations and limit gatherings to immediate household members.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 42,305 people have recovered from COVID-19.
