The province reported two new cases and one recovered case of COVID-19 in the RMWB.
Both new cases are in Fort McMurray, which has six active cases and 72 recoveries.
Numbers outside the urban service area improved slightly with one active case and 59 resolved cases of COVID-19.
To date, there are no deaths linked to COVID-19 in the region.
RELATED: Wood Buffalo continues seeing steady increase in recovered cases of COVID-19
In the last 24 hours, Alberta also reported 103 new cases and one additional death linked to COVID-19 across the province.
43 Albertans are in hospital with 12 in intensive care.
NEW:
– 103 new COVID cases in Alberta on 9,281 tests
– 1 new death, up to 228
– 43 in hospital (-5), 12 in ICU (-)
– 1084 active cases (-23)#yeg #yyc #ableg #covid19ab pic.twitter.com/3ujCQvIgCW— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) August 20, 2020
Dr Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health, began her live update with few words about shame.
She said contact tracers, who spoke with Albertans that tested positive, remarked about how they felt ashamed about contracting the illness.
Hinshaw said people should treat those who contracted the virus with compassion.
She also discussed how she could argue the case for reopening schools amid the pandemic.
Hinshaw says her recommendation were based on all available evidence- including infection rates/transmission by age, models of schools closures, and school re-openings.
Says there is a dizzying array of info on kids and COVID- says some can be contradictory.
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) August 20, 2020
She added evidence shows if children become infected, they would be mildly sick.
Few would require hospitalization, according to comparable situations and studies around the world.
Hinshaw said teens and young adults transmit similar to adults.
Hinshaw says places where community transmission rates are higher have experienced much more spread in schools than places with low transmission (cites Georgia as an example). #yeg #yyc
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) August 20, 2020
When asked about substitute teachers, Hinshaw said the new guidance is available online between the Ministries of Health and Education.
She also said parents should screen and test their children before they could participate in cohort activities such as school, sports, and social gatherings.
Hinshaw previously said parents should initially scale back cohorts before gradually expanding the net.
Alberta has 1084 active cases, 228 deaths, and 11,292 recovered cases of COVID-19.
Health officials are still working on modelling projections.
Alberta schools will open on a staggered entry plan, beginning Aug. 31.
Hinshaw will provide her next live update on COVID-19 response on Aug. 24, 2020.
