Thread by @CMOH_Alberta

Here is a summary of today’s #COVID19AB update. The AB health system remains safe. Do not avoid going to the doctor out of fear/anxiety. Health concerns going unchecked can lead to serious problems. COVID-19 has put many things on hold, your health should not be 1 of them. (1/11)

Over the last 24hrs, we IDd 1,460 new cases. Due to a transcription error, I mistakenly said 1,640 at today’s availability, I apologize for any confusion. We completed about 16,800 tests & our prov positivity rate sits at 8.9%. 685 people are in hospital, incl 121 in ICU. (2/12)

Sadly, there have now been 653 deaths related to COVID-19. My thoughts & sympathies are w/ family, friends & communities. (3/12)

There are outbreaks in 428 schools, w/ 1,726 active cases incl 109 on the watch list. As Jr. & Sr. high students are at home, only 293 of these schools are still open with students. (4/12)

Yesterday, we announced new surge measures in #YEG Zone. @YourAlberta & AHS are working to ensure as many Albertans as possible continue to receive needed surgeries in the coming days. AHS will continue to support Albertans who require emergent or urgent surgeries. (5/12)

Depending on the number of ABs w/ COVID-19 hospitalized in diff. zones/sites, surgeries will continue to the max extent possible. To make sure as many surgeries as poss can continue, we need to work together to reduce our cases so pressure on the health system is reduced. (6/12)

It is remarkable that we will have a vaccine available in the same year that this pandemic arrived in Canada. While the arrival of a vaccine is positive news, it will be some time before we can immunize most Albertans. Until then, we must be the vaccine for each other. (7/12)

There are many questions around outdoor gatherings. I am asking Albertans to please follow the spirit of the restrictions that are now place. Outdoor social gatherings w/anyone outside your household are prohibited incl getting together in a park or around a bonfire. (8/12)

We have not changed participating in outdoor sports/recreation in grps up to 10 ppl. This reflects the ability to do these while keeping distanced & keeping options open for physical fitness. Please don’t go skating or skiing w/ groups of friends. Stick to your household. (9/12)

If you are unsure about what to do, please err on the side of caution and make the safest choice. Remember: the goal is to bend the curve, not the rules. (10/12)

This is a challenging virus. While COVID-19 cases can accelerate very fast, they decelerate much more slowly & long incubation period means that hospitalizations and ICU admissions will likely continue to rise for the next few weeks. (11/12)

It’s been a hard year & many of us are tired, but we need determination & resolve more than ever. These next weeks will determine how we enter 2021 – w/ cases soaring or starting to level off/decline. Let’s be careful & embrace the collective responsibility that we share. (12/12)