Large outbreaks reason for city COVID numbers
SOUTH ZONE STILL HAS LOWEST COUNT
The City of Lethbridge’s elevated COVID-19 figures compared to the rest of the region aren’t related to one reason, but rather some large outbreaks, said a member of Alberta Health.
According to statistics released on Monday, the City of Lethbridge has 1,946 cases with and 211 active.
That’s in comparison to 530 cases — 13 active — in Lethbridge County, 334 cases and five active in the Municiple District of Taber and 191 cases (four active) in the MD of Willow Creek.
As of Monday, the MD of Pincher Creek had 212 cases and 28 active, Cardston County had 548 cases and 57 active, while the County of Warner registered 161 cases and three active.
“The number of cases in Lethbridge is not linked to any one factor," said Tom McMillan, assistant director, communications at Alberta Health. “Rather, it reflects a large number of factors, including several large outbreaks that have occurred.
“This virus spreads by close contact and we are all at risk of contracting the virus and spreading it to others. While urban centres have reported higher total case numbers, we have seen cases and outbreaks in every part of the province. This includes urban and rural areas.”
The numbers in Lethbridge aside, the South Zone still has the lowest provincial case count per 100,000 population at 2,001.8
The Edmonton Zone continues to lead the province with 3,659.3 cases per 100,000 population, while the Calgary Zone sits at 2,904.8 per 100,000.
The North Zone is at 2,274.6 and the Central Zone isn’t far behind at 2,012.1.
McMillan said Alberta Health is pursuing a province-wide approach to restrictions at this time rather than focusing on one area.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation, but are not considering regional or community-specific measures at this time,” he said.
“It’s been a long pandemic, but this virus is still here and cases can rise again if we’re not careful.
“That’s why we all need to keep focused on following the measures in place and trying to limit inperson interactions whenever we can.”
Following simple day-to-day COVID protocol is “incredibly important,” said McMillan.
“What we do matters. We all need to keep following the rules, staying home and getting tested if you feel even a little ill and keeping physically distanced whenever possible.
“Together, we can prevent cases from rising, protect the healthcare system and continue to keep each other safe.”
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