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Hinshaw details "grim" COVID-19 update for Alberta

Last Updated Nov 20, 2020 at 4:14 pm MDT

Alberta chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw updates media on the COVID-19 situation in Edmonton on Friday April 17, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Alberta reported 12 new cases and 18 recoveries of COVID-19 in the RMWB.

Inside the urban service area, there are seven new cases and 18 recovered cases of the infection in the last 24 hours.

Outside the urban service area, there are five new cases of COVID-19.

Across the region, there are 139 active cases, two deaths, and 502 resolved cases of the illness.

Suncor’s Base Plant and Firebag, Syncrude’s Mildred Lake, CNRL’s Horizon and Albian sites, and Imperial’s Kearl have links to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Alberta re-inserted Father Mercredi and Holy Trinity Catholic schools on the province’s list of COVID-19 outbreak locations.

According to the province, they are likely to have links to between two and four confirmed cases.

The province removed both schools on Nov. 19 but added them again following new information.

294 Alberta schools or 12 per cent have alerts or outbreaks, with 67 on the watch list.

The in-school transmission of COVID-19 occurred in 166 schools.

READ MORE: New data shows high-income earners also applied for emergency COVID-19 aid

Dr Deena Hinshaw, the chief medical health officer said in Alberta, “the current situation is grim”.

Across the province, there are a record 1155 new cases of COVID-19 and 11 additional deaths of the illness.

871 Albertans recovered in the last 24 hours to bring the total to 32,835.

Hinshaw said all Albertans must do their part to bend the curve and the stakes are higher now than ever before.

310 Albertans are in hospital with 58 in intensive care.

Hinshaw said AHS can add additional ICU beds if needed.

There are 70 beds reserved for COVID-19 patients with a total of 173 general adult ICU beds across the province.

When asked about a provincial mandate on facemasks, Hinshaw said no such policy decisions were made to date.

Alberta is the only province without a mandatory mask bylaw.

The RMWB enacted its facemask bylaw on Oct. 26, 2020.

RELATED: Wood Buffalo adjusts after first day under mandatory mask bylaw

Alberta has 10,655 active cases and a death toll of 462.

Hinshaw will provide another update on Nov. 23, 2020.