No sign of post-holiday surge in COVID-19 numbers for Alberta

FILE - This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, yellow, emerging from the surface of cells, blue/pink, cultured in the lab. The sample was isolated from a patient in the U.S. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning doctors about a rare but serious condition in children linked with the coronavirus. In an alert issued Thursday, the CDC called the condition multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. (NIAID-RML via AP, File)

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – We’re halfway through January but so far there’s been no sign of a post-Christmas surge in cases.

On Thursday, Alberta reported 967 cases of the virus, compared to more than 1,800 cases reported in mid-December, prompting new restrictions to be put in place.

The lower numbers may come as a surprise given that many Albertans admitted to visiting family and loved ones over the holidays.

A Leger poll released on Jan. 5, showed that nearly half of Canadians who responded said they defied public health orders and visited people outside their household.

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However, in Alberta, 68 per cent of respondents said they never visited family and friends over Christmas but 47 per cent said they knew of someone who did.

Generally, it takes around two weeks for COVID-19 trends to appear in the case numbers but so far that trend is bending downwards for Alberta.

Despite the low cases, hospitalizations still remain at 806 with 136 in intensive care.

Provincial stats show around 300 people have died from the virus since Dec. 30, 21 of them reported on Thursday.

Right now, there are 12,434 active cases of COVID-19 with over 100,000 people recovered from the virus since March.