Airdrie has recorded its first confirmed cases of COVID-19.
According to the Government of Alberta’s geospatial heat map, outlining where cases of the virus have been confirmed, three Airdronians have tested positive for the virus as of March 24.
"First and foremost, I hope the three people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 return to 100 per cent health and limit the spread to the rest of the community by following all the great advice that's out there from Alberta Health Services and the provincial government," said Mayor Peter Brown. "Any new cases in Airdrie, we wish for a speedy recovery."
With the news of the city's first confirmed cases, Brown added he encourages vigilance from residents, in both monitoring their own health and staying informed as the pandemic evolves.
"The best advice I've heard so far is to act like you have the virus," he said. "Be vigilant all the time. Our emergency management team is working every day as this continues to unfold. We know people are concerned, but the best way to alleviate concern is to be informed, so make sure you go to the City's website, Alberta Health Services, and social media has a ton of things from the provincial government."
Details on each confirmed case, such as the age of the person, the community they live in or whether their infection was travel-related or the result of community transmission, are not released by Alberta Health Services (AHS) to protect the privacy of those infected.
"As per standard practice for all cases of COVID-19, AHS has directly contacted any individual considered exposed to these cases and these people are now also in self-isolation and being tested...," read a statement from the health authority.
According to AHS, only those individuals contacted directly by AHS are considered to be exposed to any case.
"If you are not contacted directly by AHS, you are not considered exposed," AHS said.
As of 4:30 p.m. March 23, there are 301 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alberta, with 188 of those – 62 per cent – in the Calgary zone. Airdrie is included in the Calgary Health Zone.
In total, more than 27,000 people in Alberta were tested for the virus as of March 22, with less than one per cent testing positive. Nationwide, 1,646 cases of the virus have been confirmed.
