By Shaun Penner

COVID UPDATE MARCH 23

One new case of COVID-19 in North, province amends self-isolation timelines

Mar 23, 2020 | 4:55 PM

The Province of Alberta added 42 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the provincial total to 301 cases. The North Zone, meantime, added one new cases for March 23, bringing the total to 19 confirmed cases.

The new case for the North was added in the Hinton area, which now has its first confirmed case.

Grande Prairie still sits at two confirmed cases, which were announced back on Friday. The High Prairie area has five, while the Slave Lake area has three.

Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided the update on Monday afternoon, where she announced changes to self-isolation protocols for those who have had their symptoms clear up from 14 days to 10 days. That timeline starts from when symptoms first become present.

“The most up-to-date medical evidence indicates that if you are feeling well after 10 days from the onset of mild symptoms like a sore throat or runny nose or cough, you will be able to stop self-isolating. Again, provided your symptoms have resolved.”

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

She added that the full 14-day self-isolation period remains for those who have come in contact with a confirmed case, or who have returned from travel.

Dr. Hinshaw also clarified the grey area surrounding the continuance of self-isolation, should those already isolated begin to show symptoms partway through their time in isolation.

“This means, that if a person returned from abroad and experiences symptoms after seven days of self-isolating, they will be required to self-isolate for 10 days from the start of those symptoms. In this example, that would mean their total time in self-isolation, assuming the symptoms resolve by 10 days, would be 17 total days.”

Hinshaw also provided an update on the status of the attendees of a Western Canadian Physician’s curling bonspiel, where someone with a confirmed case had attended from March 11-14. She says 11 of 47 Alberta healthcare workers who attended the event, many of them physicians, have tested positive for the virus.

She says some of those doctors returned to work and saw patients before they were notified that they had been exposed.

Hinshaw says all possible contacts of those physicians are being contacted by AHS.