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Over 100 schools now have COVID-19 cases: SOS Alberta

Last Updated Sep 21, 2020 at 5:43 pm MDT

Students sanitize their hands before walking into school.

Alberta reported 10 new cases and 14 recovered cases of COVID-19 in the RMWB over the last 72 hours.

This includes nine new cases and 13 recoveries in the urban service area, which has 44 active cases, one death, and 180 resolved cases of the illness.

Outside the urban service area, there are four active cases and 61 recoveries.

Across the province, there are 358 new cases in the last three days.

It reported 119 new cases for Sept. 18, 102 on Sept. 19, and 137 on Sept. 20.

Alberta also said one more Albertan died from COVID-19, who the province linked to the outbreak at the Foothills Medical Centre.

This brings the death toll from COVID-19 in the province to 256 Albertans.

School outbreaks

Just three weeks into the new school and the number of Alberta schools dealing with COVID-19 cases is now in the triple digits.

Fort McMurray Catholic School Division (FMCSD) confirmed two schools have links to COVID-19 cases.

Despite two confirmed cases of the illness at St. Gabriel, the FMCSD said the school will remain open.

“Alberta Health Services has advised these cases are not the result of in-school transmission. At this time, based on advice from AHS, St Gabriel School will remain open.”

FMCSD added custodial staff completed additional cleaning, focusing on areas where the individuals were present.

They also deep cleaned high-touch areas and surfaces throughout the school.

The FMCSD confirmed Holy Trinity Secondary School had its second case on Sept. 19.

AHS again said that case was not the result of in-school transmission.

“At this time, based on advice from AHS, Holy Trinity Catholic High School will remain open. Alberta Health Services has now determined that the case in relation to Holy Trinity Catholic High School from September 4th, though unrelated to the case of September 19th, does meet the AHS definition of the term ‘outbreak’.”

FMCSD confirmed additional cleaning at Holy Trinity, in particular in areas the individual frequented, took place.

According to Support Our Students (SOS) Alberta, 103 schools in the province have reported cases of the virus, an increase of over 20 since Friday.

About 16 of those schools are dealing with outbreaks and one school, St. Wilfrid in Calgary, is on a COVID-19 watch with at least five cases.

The majority of those schools are in the Edmonton-area with 50,  while 33 are in the Calgary area.

As of the morning of Sept. 21, Alberta Health is reporting six outbreaks at Calgary schools and four in Edmonton.

SOS has been keeping track of COVID-19 in schools since the beginning of September through media reports, school reports and communication with Alberta Health Services.

Dr Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer, also confirmed two schools in Alberta, which are St. Wilfrid Elementary School in Calgary and Vimy Ridge in Edmonton, entered the COVID-19 watch list.

She added hospitalization rates for COVID-19 remain stable.

51 Albertans are in hospital with nine in intensive care.

She added the province’s hospitals are well within capacity.

To date, health officials completed 1,215,672 tests.

Alberta has 1459 active cases, 256 deaths, and 15024 recovered cases of the illness.

This article includes excerpts from 660 News.