While technical issues in the COVID-19 reporting system prevented a detailed update Thursday, Alberta’s top doctor says there have been roughly 800 new cases in the past 24 hours.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw says this is “extremely concerning.”
She says nine hospitals in the province now have outbreaks including the latest outbreak at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge.
Hinshaw also says one significant concern she has is with the high proportion of active cases who have gone to work or social events while symptomatic.
She says in Calgary alone, 9 per cent of active cases worked while symptomatic and 7 per cent attended a social gathering, which is upwards of 500 people who did not stay home when they should have.
Hinshaw says new measures will have to be considered if the numbers don’t go down in the next few days.
A detailed breakdown of new cases on Wednesday and Thursday, are expected on Friday afternoon.
There are also temporary changes coming to close contact notification in Alberta.
Alberta Health Services says as the province experiences a sustained record number of new COVID-19 cases daily, there are double to triple the number of close contacts that require notification and follow-up.
As of Friday, Nov. 6, AHS will directly notify close contacts of cases in three priority groups only: health care workers; minors (parents will be notified if their child has been exposed in the school setting); and individuals who live or work within congregate or communal facilities.
AHS will no longer be directly notifying individual close contacts of positive cases outside those three priority groups.
Albertans will be asked to notify their own close contacts.