Two more people have died from COVID-19 in Alberta.
One of the deaths was a man in his 80s from Calgary’s McKenzie Towne Continuing Care home and a man in his 90s from the North Zone.
There were also 97 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Thursday, bringing the total to 968 cases in the province.
Four new cases in AHS North Zone brings the total to 55.
No new cases have been reported from Fort McMurray.
It’s believed that 108 cases were the result of community transmission.
Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw said that 174 people have recovered from the virus and more than 40,000 tests have been conducted in the last 24 hours.
Hinshaw added that 98 per cent of those tests have come back negative.
Seventy-four tests have been confirmed at continuing care facilities across the province.
As of Thursday afternoon, there were 65 cases at Calgary’s McKenzie Towne Continuing Care home and two new cases at a care facility in the North Zone.
As of April 2, there were nine outbreaks at continuing care facilities.
“The safety in these facilities are a serious issue and one that is being faced across Canada,” Dr. Hinshaw said.
Hinshaw added stricter measures at long term facilities are being introduced to help prevent any further spread.
Staff and operators are now required to notify public health as soon as a case is suspected or confirmed in a facility and if two or more residents exhibit COVID-19 like symptoms.
Staff who work at multiple facilities are required to inform their supervisor if they have worked at or are working at a place where there is a confirmed or suspected case.
New directions are also being provided on how facilities must operate in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.
“These new standards, enforceable by law, will help ensure that those living and working in congregate settings are kept as physically safe as possible and will mitigate the risk of further spread within, and between, different facilities,” Dr. Hinshaw said.
