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Twenty-six COVID-19 cases linked to PTW Energy Services outbreak, province records 432 new variant cases

Last Updated Apr 6, 2021 at 11:05 am MDT

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — After a vague tweet from Dr. Deena Hinshaw over the weekend regarding an outbreak of new cases in the province, Alberta’s top doctor has provided a little more information on the outbreak.

Hinshaw taking to Twitter on Monday instead of the originally planned live update saying this new outbreak began with a traveller who returned from out of the province, leading to 26 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

“At this time, the outbreak appears linked to a large employer with multiple sites across Western Canada,” said Hinshaw in a tweet on Monday.

She says the outbreak has been confined to 3 work sites in Central and North Zone, where employees travelled between sites.

Later Monday evening, CityNews received confirmation from PTW Energy Services that it was the employer in question.

Following news about the PTW Energy outbreak, Hinshaw added a separate, unrelated P.1 outbreak was reported at a workplace in the Calgary zone with 5 cases linked to the outbreak, including 1 confirmed case of the P1 variant.

This information comes as the province reports 887 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, with 432 being variants of concern.

READ MORE: Alberta NDP says Kenney must reintroduce public health restrictions

This now means variant cases make up 39 per cent of all active cases in the province, with our positivity rate at 9.9 per cent.

Currently, 312 people are in hospital with 76 people now in the ICU.

Four new deaths were reported on Monday.

As for vaccines, Alberta has distributed over 707,000 doses to date with 116,198 Albertans now fully vaccinated with two doses.

Beginning Tuesday at 8 A.M., additional Albertans will be eligible to book a COVID-19 immunization as part of phase 2B through AHS online & Health Link 8-1-1.

This now includes Albertans with underlying health conditions born in or before 1973.

AHS has also made enhancements to the online booking tool to allow up to three additional family members who are eligible to receive their vaccine to book at the same time and at the same clinic.

Eligible Albertans can also book their COVID-19 immunization at participating pharmacies by visiting the AHS website.