As the number of variant of concern cases of COVID-19 continues to climb, now accounting for nearly 55 per cent of all active cases in the province, eligible Albertans are urged to book an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Locally, following a surge in cases mid-March which saw active cases in the Drumheller Valley rise to a record high of 75 on March 16, cases continue to fluctuate.
“We have now administered more than one million doses of vaccine in the province,” Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said during the Thursday, April 15 COVID update.
It was also announced the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was previously paused due to a rare increased risk of blood clots, was made available to eligible Albertans aged 40 and older starting on Tuesday, April 20; previously the vaccine was not recommended for anyone under 55.
While Grade 7 to 12 students in Calgary schools, both public and Catholic divisions, are moving temporarily to online, at-home learning, local area schools remain open and operating as per usual.
Previously, schools in both Delia and Morrin dealt with outbreaks of COVID-19 among the student population, with both being listed as ‘Outbreak’ on the Government of Alberta’s COVID-19 website. However, Prairie Land School Division Superintendent Cam McKeage tells the Mail, “Both Morrin and Delia School are back to normal with no known cases. I do know they stay at Outbreak status for 28 days I believe, after they get cleared away.”
In the Central Health Zone, which includes the Town of Drumheller, there are 1,187 active variants of concern cases, with 778 recovered and four deaths; further geographical breakdown of variants of concern is not available at this time.
As of Monday, April 19 there are 30 active and 387 recovered cases of COVID-19 for the Town of Drumheller; this includes two active and 179 recovered cases at the Drumheller Institution.
There are 11 active cases in Wheatland County, 12 in Starland County, and 41 in Kneehill County.