There has been a first COVID-19 death confirmed in Alberta Health Services (AHS) central zone, which includes the Red Deer and Mountain View county districts.
Officials have not said exactly where or when the death occurred but new geospatial mapping shows the death did not happen in Mountain View or Red Deer counties.
The first case of the virus has also been seen in the Sundre area, according to the provincial government’s geospatial mapping of confirmed cases as of yesterday morning.
As of Sunday, there were 1,250 in the province, including 13 in Red Deer County, up from six last week, one in the Innisfail area, two in the Olds area, and three in the Didsbury area, up from two last week.
By yesterday afternoon, the geospatial map changed so that cases in the area are now identified by counties.
Mountain View County had five cases as of yesterday afternoon -- four active and one recovered case. Clearwater County had one active case. Red Deer County had 13 cases -- 11 that were active and two recovered cases.
As of yesterday afternoon there are now 66 confirmed cases in AHS central zone.
Sundre Mayor Terry Leslie said the fact the Sundre area now has its first case is not surprising.
“Yes it was inevitable circumstance that I think all health folks were expecting,” said Leslie. “They health folks were expecting and are prepared.
“We’ve had an opportunity to have an update with Alberta Health Services just this past week and they basically outlined to folks across the central zone what they were seeing for projections.”
Boundaries on the government’s geospatial COVID-19 map are developed and managed by Alberta Health. They are not based on municipal or health region boundaries.
Sam Smalldon is the CAO of Mountain View Seniors’s Housing, which owns and operates seniors lodges in Olds, Carstairs, Sundre and Didsbury.
He confirmed Monday that there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in any of the lodges.
He did say that four residents in the Carstairs lodge have been tested for COVID-19 after showing flu-like symptoms. One of those tests came back negative and the results of the other three are expected this week.
“This is all precautionary,” he said. “Results so far have been negative. We don’t have any thinking that they are COVID, but precautionary steps are to be swabbed and tested to be sure. They are not COVID cases.”
All four residents are now in isolation at the Carstairs lodge, he said.
MVSH has implemented a new condition requiring any resident who leaves one of its facilities to go into a 10-day self-isolation in their suite. Social distancing practices are being applied inside all lodges for resident activities and meals.
Sundre's mayor is encouraging area residents to continue to follow social distancing protocols.
“It’s imperative that we all do the social distancing to try to protect the people who are most at risk,” said Leslie.
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