The upward trend in COVID-19 cases both locally and provincially shows no signs of slowing down, as Airdrie reported 313 active infections on April 22 – up 24 from April 18.
To date, 2,253 Airdronians have recovered from COVID-19 and 17 deaths have been reported. Statistics updated daily on Airdrie.ca indicate there have been 2,583 total cases of the virus reported in the city since March 2020.
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Cases are still confirmed at eight schools in Airdrie, according to the provincial COVID-19 status map. A.E. Bowers Elementary School is still listed under "outbreak" status, with 10 or more active cases, while Northcott Prairie School and Airdrie Francophone School are experiencing outbreaks of five to nine active cases. École Airdrie Middle School, St. Martin de Porres High School, C.W. Perry School, Windsong Hieghts School and Nose Creek Elementary School have been listed under "alert" status, meaning they are each reporting two to four active cases.
Provincially, case counts continue to rise. According to Alberta.ca, 1,857 new cases were identified on April 21, meaning there are 19,182 active cases in the province. The reported provincial numbers indicate 518 patients are in hospital with the virus as of April 21 and 116 Albertans are in intensive care units. Alberta is approaching the record number of active infections the province experienced in mid-December 2020.
In total, 2,054 deaths have been reported in Alberta from COVID-19 as of April 21.
In terms of the more contagious COVID-19 variants of concern, the provincial total currently sits at 11,418 active cases. Variant cases accounted for roughly 59 per cent of active cases in Alberta as of April 21.
While infections continue to increase, so too do the number of vaccines administered in Alberta. According to government data, 1,275,287 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in Alberta as of April 21. To date, 252,422 Albertans are fully immunized with two doses of a vaccine.
Rocky View County's COVID-19 numbers have dropped significantly during the week, with 176 active cases reported as of April 21 – a decrease from the 210 reported April 18. Eight schools in RVC are on the provincial COVID-19 status map; Springbank Middle School, Edge School, Springbank Community High School, W.G. Murdoch School in Crossfield, Bearspaw School, Prince of Peace Lutheran School in Conrich, Elbow Valley Elementary School and Langdon School.
On the east side of the county, Chestermere reported 130 active cases as of April 21, which is eight more than April 18. Three area schools are listed on the provincial COVID-19 status map; Chestermere Lake Middle School is experiencing an outbreak of 10 or more cases, Chestermere High School is experiencing an outbreak of more than 10 cases and Prairie Waters Elementary School Is also experiencing an outbreak, with a reported five to nine active cases.
Out west, Cochrane reported 150 active cases of the virus as of April 21. According to the school status map, seven Cochrane schools have confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks, including three high schools. Bow Valley High School and Cochrane High School are experiencing an outbreak of 10 or more cases each. St. Timothy High School is listed with an outbreak of five to nine active cases. Cochrane Christian Academy has also reported an outbreak with five to nine cases reported. Glenbow Elementary School, RancheView School and Manachaban Middle School are also listed on the government's COVID-19 school status map, with two to four active cases each.
Alberta's chief medical health officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced during her daily update April 22 that the Province has confirmed the first case in Alberta of the B.1.617 variant first identified in India, and seen in Denmark. The variant has led to a dramatic increase in COVID-19 infections in India.
"It’s also been found in California and is a key driver in the rise of rapidly spreading cases that we are seeing in India," she said. "This variant was in a returning inter-provincial traveller to Alberta, and no additional cases of this variant have been detected to date."
Hinshaw said research is currently underway on the variant.
"So far, we are calling this a variant of interest as we work with colleagues across the country to monitor the latest findings on this variant as evidence emerges from around the world," she said.
