BREAKING NEWS:

I have combined information from press conferences, news releases and other sources from yesterday and today. Anything in green is an update on something from the last one I sent out or on an outbreak. Anything in bold and italics are my comments.

If you would like to see anything that I sent out previously, or have a question on a particular topic, please ask me and I will be pleased to send to you whatever I have.  

If anyone has anything helpful to add, please send it to me and I will include it. Linda.  (To contact Linda directly click here to send an email).  

• Potential Treatments
• Around the World
• Canada
• Other Provinces
• Alberta
• Good News Stories 

POTENTIAL TREATMENTS/TESTS

Coronavirus Patients Stop Being Infectious after 11 Days

          Scientists from Singapore’s National Center for Infectious Diseases and the Academy of Medicine examined 73 patients with coronavirus. They looked at whether the bug could be passed from them to someone else.

Researchers from Singapore found that an infected person becomes contagious around 2 days before symptoms show. They then remain contagious for between 7 and 10 days after they start showing signs. COVID-19 ‘could not be isolated or cultured after day 11,’ researchers said.

Positive tests in patients that still had symptoms after 2 weeks could be picking up sections of the bug that cannot pass the virus on to someone else.

The researchers said that “active viral replication drops quickly after the first week, and viable virus was not found after the second week of illness.”

Scientists hope that their research on the illness’s ability to spread could help hospitals figure out when to send admitted patients home.

 

 

–WORLD NEWS–

 

Hong Kong

            Pro-democracy demonstrators have been protesting China’s attempt to change Hong Kong law to bring Hong Kong directly under mainland China’s control. Hong Kong police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the thousands of people who rallied.

            China’s new security laws have also worried financial markets and drawn rebukes from foreign governments, human rights groups and business leaders.

            Nearly  200 political figures from around the world said in a statement that the proposed laws were a “comprehensive assault on the city’s autonomy, rule of law and fundamental freedoms.” China has dismissed foreign complaints as “meddling” and said the proposed laws will not harm Hong Kong’s autonomy or investors.

 

World wide  5,497,650 cases; 346,675 deaths;  2,301,970 recoveries

Just to keep this in perspective:

• flu affects 1 billion people and causes 291,000 to 646,000 deaths worldwide (source: Johns Hopkins Medicine)
• The Spanish flu affected 1/3 of the people in the world at the time and killed between 50-100 million people.

 

 

Around the World

COVID-19 affects 213 countries and territories around the world.

 

Brazil

• Brazil has 363,618 cases and 22,716 deaths, 190,991 have recovered..
• Brazil is the 2nd highest in the world, behind only the US. It is 6^th in death toll, but these are likely very underreported.

 

Britain

• Britain now has 259,559 cases and 36,793 deaths. There is no information on recoveries.
• UK has slipped to the 5^th highest in cases but is still the 2^nd highest in deaths.
• UK and Italy are tied for 3^rd highest deaths per million people – 542 per million, behind Belgium and Spain.
• Cases and deaths are slowing down.
• Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that some primary school classes will return on June 1. Schools with concerns will be given more time to prepare.
• A new review will be conducted into Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s  5G network as anger over China’s role in the pandemic intensifies.

 

Chile

• Chile’s cases are up to 69,102, but deaths are so far at 718. Recoveries are 28,148.
• President Sebastian Pinera said that Chile’s healthcare system is under strain and very close to the limit. Chile’s new cases rose by 3,709 on Sunday. More than 1000 have been hospitalized.
• A third of Chile’s 19 million population is under mandatory quarantine after the government put Santiago and several other cities under lockdown.

 

France

• France has 182,584 cases and 28,367 deaths, 64,617 people have recovered.
• France is 7^th in overall cases, and 5^th in total deaths as well as 5th in deaths per million – 433 per million

 

Germany

• Germany has 179,713 cases with 8,352 deaths, 159,000 people have recovered.
• Germany is 8^th in overall cases, but its death toll is much lower than other countries with high case numbers.

 

Italy

• Italy is now reporting 229,858 cases and 32,785 deaths, 140,479 people have recovered.
• Italy is 6^th in overall case numbers.
• Italy and UK are tied for 3^rd highest deaths per million people – 542 per million, behind Belgium and Spain.

 

Russia

• Russia’s cases continue to climb but it has slipped to third in cases behind only the US and Brazil. Russia has 344,481 cases, 3,2541deaths and 113,299 are reported as recovered.

 

Spain

• Spain is reporting 282,852 cases and 28,752 deaths, 196,958 people have recovered.
• Spain has slipped to the 4th highest in cases behind the US, Brazil and Russia, and increased to 4th spot in deaths behind US, UK, and Italy.
• However, Spain is the 2^nd  highest in deaths per million population – 615 per million people, behind only Belgium. 

United States

• The US now has 1,686,436 cases and 99,300 deaths, 451,702 have recovered.
• US deaths are 300 per million people, 9^th behind Belgium, Spain, Italy, UK, France, Sweden the Netherlands, and Ireland.

Canada 

• Confirmed cases         84,688
• Probable cases                    11
• Deaths                          6,424
• Recoveries                  43,985
• No. of Tests:          1,459,288

 

Areas in Canada with cases of COVID-19 as of MAY 24, 5:00 pm MDT 

Province, territory or other                  Confirmed        Probable       Deaths   Recovered

• British Columbia                                     2,517                   0             157           2,057
• Alberta                                                      6,860                   0             135           5,569
• Saskatchewan                                            632                   0                 7              535
• Manitoba                                                     281                   0                 7              268
• Ontario                                                    25,500                   0          2,073         18,190
• Quebec                                                    47,411                   0          3,984         12,497
• New Brunswick                                          121                   0                 0              120
• Nova Scotia                                               1,050                   0               58              969
• Prince Edward Island                                  27                   0                 0                27
• Newfoundland and Labrador                  260                   0                 3              254
• Yukon                                                              11                   0                 0                11
• Northwest Territories                                    5                   0                 0                  5
• Nunavut                                                            0                   0                 0                  0
• Repatriated travellers                                  13                   0                 0     Unknown

Up-to-date information is available at Canada.ca/COVID-19

 

–Canadian News –

Bill Morneau says taxes won’t rise

          In an interview on The West Block, Minister Bill Morneau told Mercedes Stephenson that taxes will not be raised to make up for the billions spent.

 

Foreign Takeover of Canadian Companies

          Despite the new government scrutiny announced last month on foreign countries buying Canadian companies, countries like China, Russia and Saudi Arabia are aggressively seeking expanded shares of ownership of key strategic businesses. Saudi Arabia has been buying up shares in Canadian energy firms. And last week, Canada’s TMAC Resources agreed to sell its Hope Bay gold mine project in Nunavut to Shandong Gold Mining, a Chinese state-owned mining company.

          Prime  Minister Trudeau declined to say how his government planned to heed the warnings from the federal spy agency CSIS last week on the threat posed by hostile foreign takeovers of key Canadian companies. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland also dodged questions, as did Finance Minister Bill Morneau.  

 

Provinces 

Ontario

• Cases are increasing in Ontario with 460 confirmed cases today. There were 25 new deaths.
• 11,383 tests were completed Saturday, although the province has a capacity of 21,000 per day.
• Premier Doug Ford announced that asymptomatic people can get tested. The province also plans to unveil testing strategy next week to target specific sectors.
• Torontonians flocked to a popular downtown park Saturday. Officials said thousands were at Trinity Bellwoods Park and were not observing physical distancing rules. Premier Ford expressed his shock at the images. Toronto Mayor John Tory said more police officers and by-law officers were to be at the park today to make sure people observed the rules. Less people showed up today. Critics say the city should have been more prepared.

 

Alberta

MAY 24, 2020, 5:15 p.m. 

Case updates

Today there were only 18 new cases yesterday, and 42 today. There are now 801 active cases in the province and 5,924 people have recovered. There was 1 death yesterday but no deaths today. The total deaths are now 135.   46 people are in hospital with 6 in intensive care.

Latest updates

• 42 new cases have been reported, bringing the number of active cases to 801. 5,924 people have recovered.
• Cases have been identified in all zones across the province:
  • 629 active cases and 4,020 recovered cases in the Calgary zone
  • 92 active cases and 1,132 recovered cases in the South zone
  • 55 active cases and 455 recovered cases in the Edmonton zone
  • 20 active cases and 200 recovered cases in the North zone
  • 3 active cases and 95 recovered cases in the Central zone
  • 2 active cases and 22 recovered cases in zones yet to be confirmed
  • Additional information, including the total number of cases, is reported online.
• There have been 624 cases to date with an unknown exposure.
• The total deaths are 135: 98 in the Calgary zone; 15 in the North zone; 13 in the Edmonton zone; 8 in the South zone; and one in the Central zone.
• There are 69 active cases and 640 recovered cases at continuing care facilities. 101 residents at these facilities have died.
• So far, 216,168 Albertans have been tested and labs have performed 236,789 tests, with 4,015  tests completed in the last 24 hours.
• Any individual exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, including cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat or shortness of breath, is eligible for testing. People can access testing by completing the COVID-19 self-assessment online. A separate self-assessment tool is available for health-care and shelter workers, enforcement and first responders.
• Aggregate data, showing cases by age range and zone, as well as by local geographic areas, is available online at alberta.ca/covid19statistics.

 

 (Central zone and areas around Calgary includes:

• Ponoka County – 3 cases, 1 active, 0 deaths, 2 recovered
• City of Camrose – 2 cases, 0 active, 1 death, 1 recovered
• County of Camrose – 1 cases, 0 active, 0 deaths, 1 recovered
• Red Deer – 37 cases; 1 active, 0 deaths, 36 recovered
• City of Lacombe – 2 cases, 0 active, 0 deaths, 2 recovered
• County of Lacombe – 3 cases; 0 active, 0 deaths; 3 recovered
• Clearwater County – 3 cases, 1 active, 0 death; 2 recovered
• County of Stettler – 3 cases, 0 active, 0 death; 3 recovered
• Red Deer County – 16 cases, 1 active, 0 deaths, 15 recovered
• Clearwater County – 2 cases; 1 active, 0 deaths; 2 recovered
• Mountain View County – 9 cases, 2 active, 0 deaths, 7 recovered
• Kneehill County – 4 cases, 0 active, 0 deaths; 4 recovered
• MD of Bighorn – 18 cases; 0 active, 0 deaths; 18 recovered
• MD of Rockyview – 43 cases; 5 active, 0 deaths; 38 recovered
• Wheatland County – 10 cases; 2 active, 0 deaths; 8 recovered
• ID No. 9 (Banff & Canmore) – 4 cases; 1 active, 0 deaths; 3 recovered
• Foothills County – 726 cases, 23 active, 8 deaths; 695 recovered
• City of Airdrie – 47 cases, 5 active, 1 deaths, 41 recovered
• City of Calgary – 3847 cases;  582 active, 89 deaths; 3176 recovered
• City of Brooks – 1095 cases, 51 active, 7 deaths, 1037 recovered
• County of Newell – 15 cases, 2 active, 0 deaths; 13 recovered
• Special Areas No. 2 – 2 cases; 0 active, 1 death; 1 recovered 

I am including smaller towns within counties, where I can get the information.  The total of each smaller town is also included in the country total. If there is a town I have not included that you would like to see, please let me know and I will see if I can get that info. Sometimes more than 1 town is lumped in together or not separated from the county figures – for example, Penhold, Blackfalds and the area around Red Deer is included in Red Deer County figures.

• Black Diamond – 29 cases, 3 active, 0 deaths, 26 recovered
• Canmore – 18 cases, 0 active, 0 deaths, 18 recovered
• Cochrane-Springbank – 20 cases, 2 active, 0 deaths, 18 recovered
• Crossfield – 6 cases, 1 active, 0 deaths, 5 recovered
• Chestermere – 32 cases, 5 active, 0 deaths, 27 recovered
• Didsbury/Carstairs – 5 cases,1 active, 0 deaths, 4 recovered
• Drumheller – 2 cases, 2 active
• High River – 535 cases, 12 active, 7 deaths, 516 recovered
• Innisfail/Bowden – 1 case, 0 active, 0 deaths, 1 recovered
• Okotoks – Priddis – 165 cases, 9 active, 1 deaths, 155 recovered
• Olds – 3 cases, 0 active, 0 deaths, 3 recovered
• Rocky Mountain House – 1 cases, 0 active, 0 deaths, 1 recovered
• Strathmore – 23 cases, 4 active, 0 deaths, 19 recovered
• Sundre – 2 case, 1active, 0 deaths, 1 recovered
• Sylvan Lake – 3 cases, 0 active; 0 deaths; 3 recovered
• Three Hills / Highway 21 – 4 cases, 0 active, 0 deaths, 4 recovered 

OUTBREAK SITES

• Outbreak = 2 or more cases which indicates community spread in the facility. Congregate sites are required to report even 1 possible case. Outbreak is declared over when 4 weeks have passed with no new cases.
• Long-term care and supported living facilities with COVID-19 cases:   I have included the information from the Alberta government website plus information from other sources.
• If a site is no longer on the list it is because there have been no new cases for four  weeks.
• There are now 69 active cases and 640 recovered cases in continuing care facilities, and 101 have died.
  • Academy of Aging, Calgary
  • AgeCare Sunrise Gardens, Brooks
  • Bethany Care Centre, Calgary seniors home in the NW has confirmed 2 cases; one is a resident and 1 a staff member. The resident has since died.
  • Bow View Manor, Calgary – this site was declared outbreak free, then another case occurred in a staff member acquired outside of the facility. There are no cases in other staff members or residents.
  • Carewest Sarcee, Calgary has 12 cases and 2 deaths.
  • Clifton Manor, Calgary, now has 27 confirmed cases among residents and 18 in staff for a total of 45 cases, and 7 deaths; 13 residents and 12 staff have recovered.
  • Hillcrest Extendicare, Calgary, 2 deaths
  • High River Long term Care (in High River Hospital) – 2 deaths
  • Intercare  Chinook Care Centre, Calgary
  • JB Wood Continuing Care, High Prairie, 4 deaths
  • Kensington Village – Shepherd’s Care – 37 cases – 29 have recovered, 4 deaths
  • Manoir du Lac Retirement Home in McLennan. The last numbers were 38 confirmed cases and 7 deaths.
  • McKenzie Towne Long Term Care, Calgary, 114 confirmed cases, 20 deaths. A new positive case was identified.
  • Millrise Place, Calgary
  • Monterey Seniors Village, Calgary
  • Proverbium 3 Homes Inc., Calgary
  • Providence Care Centre, Calgary
  • Sunrise Gardens, Brooks

• Other outbreak sites:
  • Amazon Distribution Centre, Balzac
  • APS Calgary
  • Calgary Alpha House
  • Calgary Drop-in Rehab Centre Society, Calgary – 10 cases, 2 recovered
  • Calgary Refrigerated Warehouse, Calgary
  • Canada Post, Calgary
  • Cargill Meat Processing Plant/High River–
  • Cascade Recovery+, Calgary, 14 cases
  • Fibrebuilt Manufacturing, Calagry
  • Flyers force, Calgary
  • Golden Happiness Bakery
  • Harmony Beef – Meat packing, Rocky View County
  • Horizon Work Camp, Fort McMurray -5 cases
  • JBS Foods/Brooks
  • Kearl Lake work camp north of Fort McMurray – there have now been 107 cases over a 6 week period.  Strict measures are in place which has reduced further spread.
  • McDonalds, Brooks
  • Midtown Co-op, Calgary
  • Purolator, Calgary – 59 employees, 5 have recovered so far
  • Terashita’s No Frills, Brooks
  • Subaru, Calgary
  • Thomas Fresh, Calgary

Aggressive measures are being implemented in all outbreaks and they are affective.  AHS and Public Health has learned from the earlier outbreaks and is putting aggressive measures in place immediately an outbreak is identified. Exposures that happened before measures put in place can continue to happen for up to 2 weeks because of the long incubation period.

 

Supporting Alberta businesses through relaunch

A new Alberta Biz Connect web page provides business owners with information on health and safety guidelines for general workplaces and sector-specific guidelines for those able to open in stage one of relaunch to ensure businesses can reopen safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is also a template which can be completed to help plan how employees an patrons will be protected from the spread of infection.

For more information, visit alberta.ca/BizConnect

 

ABTraceTogether app

• The ABTraceTogether app will enhance current manual contact tracing and capacity, and facilitate early detection to help reduce the spread of the virus and better protect Albertans. It means Albertans will be contacted more quickly if they are at risk.
• Use of the app is voluntary; users must opt in.
• The app does not track the user’s physical location and does not use GPS. Protecting privacy is paramount; all contact data is only on the user’s phone and is deleted after 21 days.
• Secure contact tracing is a cornerstone of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy. More information on the app, including links to download it, can be found online.
• Since its launch, the app has attracted 190,324 registered users.