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Beaupre on COVID-19

Beaupre calls confirmed COVID-19 case in County region a “sober reminder”

Mar 25, 2020 | 5:30 AM

Reeve Leanne Beaupre says data showing the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the County of Grande Prairie region is a “sober reminder” that everyone needs to take a serious approach to combatting the spread of the virus.

The Reeve released a statement Tuesday evening, urging all residents to continue to follow social distancing protocols to further limit the spread among the community.

“For the safety of the community and our families, it is crucial we all continue to be diligent: practice social distancing, adhere to AHS self-isolation requirements and other protective measures.”

The first case for that region was listed Tuesday as the one lone new confirmation in the North zone, bringing the zone total to 20.

The County of Grande Prairie region, according to the province’s aggregate COVID-19 data website, includes the communities of Sexsmith and Clairmont, the Wedgewood and Dunes subdivisions, as well as Grovedale. The western part of the true municipality of the County of Grande Prairie is included in the Beaverlodge region, which has no confirmed cases as of Tuesday.

This map shows the breakdown of how the Alberta government has broken up its regions for COVID-19 case reporting. The large highlighted area shows the County of Grande Prairie region, while the City of Grande Prairie (circled in the highlighted area) is its own reporting area (Photo: Government of Alberta)

Nevertheless, Beaupre adds the County is ready to support its residents should they need it during this time.

“We understand that this is a stressful and difficult time for everyone,” said Beaupre. “We want to assure you that, as a partner of the Grande Prairie Regional Emergency Partnership (GPREP), the County is working closely with our neighbouring municipalities to provide support to our residents during this challenging time.”

As of Tuesday, there are two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the City of Grande Prairie, one in the County of Grande Prairie region, five in the High Prairie region and three in the Slave Lake region.