No active cases currently linked to Extendicare Bonnyville as of Monday: COVID update

Update: An outbreak has been declared at Bonnyville Health Centre on Tuesday as listed on the province’s webpage of outbreaks. More to follow.

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There are no active cases of COVID-19 among residents and staff of Extendicare Bonnyville, according to Alberta Health.

As of Monday, there had been 62 total cases among residents and staff with zero active, 54 recovered and eight deaths reported during the outbreak at the Bonnyville long-term care home.

This information is accurate as of yesterday afternoon, which does not rule out the possibility of more positive tests in the future.

Sherene Khaw, a spokesperson for the Alberta government, detailed the steps necessary before Extendicare Bonnyville could move out of an outbreak designation.

“An outbreak can be declared over 14 days after isolation is completed in the last reported case. This means 28 days or about a month,” said Khaw in an emailed statement.

“Please note – an outbreak must always be declared over by AHS Public Health – it is never automatic. Public Health will carefully assess the case onset dates as provided by the facility, and confirm with them the onset date in the last case (whether resident or staff).”

Lakeland update

According to the province’s virus data map, active cases are starting to fall in Smoky Lake County, the municipality that’s seen a spike in COVID cases over the past two weeks.

Zero new cases were added on Tuesday and 20 more are deemed as recovered, leaving 88 active cases in Smoky Lake County.

In Goodfish Lake where an outbreak has been declared, there are 57 active cases of the virus as of a Monday update.

Elsewhere, two cases were identified in the County of St. Paul where there are 45 active cases of the virus.

One new case has been added within the M.D. of Bonnyville for 24 active cases. Kehewin Communications posted an update on Monday evening saying there are 18 active cases with two in hospital with the virus. Kinokamāsihk Kiskinohamatikamik will be closed for in-person classes until next Monday.

There is 13 active cases within both the City of Cold Lake and Lac La Biche County.

Three cases are active in the County of Vermilion River and two are active in the County of Two Hills.

Provincial update

Over the last 24 hours, 255 new cases have been identified in Alberta after completing roughly 5,400 tests. The provincial positivity rate is 4.6 per cent.

There are 263 people in hospital, including 37 of those in ICUs. Six new deaths were reported to Alberta Health over the past 24 hours.

Eligible Albertans can start making appointments for the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday. That means Albertans aged 50 to 64 years old, as well as First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people 35 to 49 years old, who do not have a severe chronic illness, can call 811 or make appointments through the province’s online portal.

The government said evidence suggests the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective at preventing serious illness and death in those under 65 but has not been widely studied in older age groups.

Bookings for AstraZeneca will start on March 10 with individuals born in 1957. If supply exists, Albertans born in 1958 to 1971 will be offered a chance to book in the following days, rolling one year at a time.

The Alberta government said AstraZeneca has been shown to reduce infection by 60 to 70 per cent, and severe outcomes like hospitalization by 80 per cent.