Airdrie's number of COVID-19 cases continued to drop over the weekend, with 172 active cases as of May 31 – a drop of 91 cases from May 27. It is the lowest number of active cases since before the Easter weekend in early April.
However, on a more sad note, the city has reported its 18th death from the virus – Airdrie's first COVID-related fatality since early February.
Airdrie.ca, which publishes a daily update on the city's COVID-19 statistics, indicates there have been 3,775 cases of the virus locally since the pandemic began. Of those, 3,585 people have recovered and 18 deaths have been reported.
In addition to the dropping case counts, 47 per cent of Airdronians – 35,725 residents – have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination as of May 30 end-of-day.
COVID-19 UPDATES: See the latest local and global COVID-19 information.
Airdrie's schools have also seen a dramatic drop in COVID-19 infections. While 18 schools were listed on the provincial government's COVID-19 school status map last week, Airdrie is now reporting COVID-19 cases at 12 local schools. Two schools are reporting outbreaks of 10 or more cases, 10 schools are reporting outbreaks of five to nine cases and two schools are reporting two to four active cases.
For a detailed list of Airdrie schools with COVID-19 cases, visit this link.
Provincially, Alberta reported 263 new COVID-19 infections on May 31. With 4,411 tests completed, the test positivity rate was 5.92 per cent. The new cases mean there are currently 7,646 active cases in the province, with 439 hospitalizations and 133 ICU admissions. According to the government's data, 2,227 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported since the pandemic began.
According to the Province, 2,781,430 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta as of May 30, with 62.8 per cent of the eligible population having received at least one dose and 10.3 per cent fully immunized.
Stage 1 of Alberta's reopening plan kicks off on June 1, with loosening of public health restrictions pertaining to social gatherings, sporting activities, restaurants, retail services, faith-based gatherings and personal wellness services. Stage 1 allows for a 10-person limit on outdoor gatherings and sports, while restaurant patios are allowed to reopen with a four-person limit at each table.
Furthermore, the reopening plan states retail stores and places of worship will be allowed to expand capacity to 15 per cent occupancy under Stage 1, while wedding ceremonies are allowed to include up to 10 people – though receptions are still not allowed. Funeral services, meanwhile, are allowed to include up to 20 people.
