Part of the provincial update on COVID-19 in Alberta focused on rural areas outside of Calgary and Edmonton. On Thursday, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Alberta said COVID-19 infection transmission is rising across the province. “We are seeing increased spread in many rural communities.”

“We are also seeing growing outbreaks in the central, north, and south zones,” she continued. She said some in rural areas may feel safe from COVID-19, “COVID-19 doesn’t care where you live, or where your postal code is.”

She asked everyone to follow the key public health measures. “Coping with this virus is a challenge for everyone but being further away from health care especially from advanced services like ICUs can also make the experience even more daunting for those living in rural areas,” she said.

In terms of local statistics in Strathmore, there are now 30 active cases of COVID-19 and 18 active cases in Wheatland County.

Today over the last 24 hours there were 1,854 new cases of COVID-19 in Alberta, with 17,743 active cases in total and 511 people are in hospitals with 97 of those in the ICU. “These numbers are very concerning,” said Hinshaw.

She explained that people should avoid stigmatizing individuals who are positive cases in the community. “We all need to support anyone who gets sick,” she said. “Each one of us has the potential to be exposed to COVID-19.”

One question Hinshaw addressed was the practice of carpooling during the pandemic.

She said individuals should limit group travel to people in the same household, and if that is not possible there should be two meters of distance between people in the vehicle. Passengers should also wear masks, wash or sanitize hands when entering or exiting a vehicle, and there should be disinfectant wipes in the vehicle.

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