Airdrie has surpassed 1,400 total cases of COVID-19.
According to airdrie.ca, there have been a total of 1,400 cases of COVID-19 reported in Airdrie throughout the pandemic, up three from Dec. 22. Of those cases, 254 cases are currently active, 1,138 people have recovered and eight deaths have been reported. There is a current infection rate of 362 per 100,000 population, a decrease of 29 from the day previous.
Currently in Airdrie, there are six schools listed on the provincial school status map for COVID-19. Herons Crossing School, École Edwards Elementary School and Windsong Heights School are listed under "watch" with five or more active cases, while W.H. Croxford High School, Good Shepherd School and Ralph McCall School are listed under "open," with two to four active cases.
Outside of Airdrie, Rocky View County (RVC) has reported eleven new recoveries for the second day in a row, bringing the county's active case count down to 95. RVC's case rate is currently 219 cases per 100,000 population.
In Chestermere, there are currently 87 active cases – down four from Dec. 22 – while Cochrane is reporting 41 cases, which is three fewer than the day previous.
Three schools in Chestermere are listed on the Alberta government's COVID-19 school status map – Chestermere High School and Chestermere Lake Middle School are currently under watch, while Rainbow Creek Elementary School is listed as open. On the west side of the county, Springbank Community High School has been added to the list under open status.
Provincially, there has been a total of 92,480 cases in Alberta. Of those, 18,311 are considered active, 73,298 have recovered, 802 COVID-19 patients are in hospital and 152 are in intensive care units.
Alberta recorded 1,025 new cases Dec. 22 – the lowest one-day total since Nov. 25. On a negative note, the province recorded 11 new deaths from COVID-19 the same day, bringing the provincial total to 871.
During chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw's Dec. 22 update, she said there will be a one-time exemption on the current gathering limit for people who live alone. She cited mental health reasons for justifying the exemption.
"Between Dec. 23 and Dec. 28, an individual living alone may join another household for one gathering only during this period," she said. "A household must only host a maximum of two people who live alone (not including minors) and only one event. This approach strives to balance mental wellness for individuals living alone and the need to limit COVID-19 spread."
Hinshaw said to be clear, the exemption is to to accommodate schedules for first responders and others who may work variable shifts. She added an individual living alone may only attend one gathering during this time.
"If gathering with someone who is at higher risk of severe outcomes, such as someone over the age of 65 or someone with chronic conditions, please make sure that all gathering safety measures are applied continuously," she said. "Please find a way to ensure that that person can participate in the event while still being able to maintain 2 metres of distance from all others."
According to Health Minister Tyler Shandro, as of Dec. 21, more than 3,000 healthcare workers had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. He previously said the government intends to vaccinate nearly 29,000 healthcare workers by the end of the year.
"It's the beginning of the work that will roll back the pandemic once and for all," he said during the Dec. 22 briefing. "But it's only a small first step. In the meantime, we have to hold the pandemic back by following the restrictions that are in place over the holidays."
