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Photo: Government of Alberta
By Shaun Penner
COVID-19 UPDATE

Two new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in City of Grande Prairie

Apr 17, 2020 | 4:15 PM

With the increase in testing capacity for COVID-19 in Alberta, the City of Grande Prairie has added two newly confirmed cases as of April 17, while the County of Grande Prairie added two more cases of its own on Friday to bring that area’s total to five.

Regional reporting data was re-launched on Friday, following an electrical fire late Tuesday night at the provincial data centre that halted the reporting of such information.

The two new cases in Grande Prairie are the first reported cases within city limits since March 20, when the first two cases were reported. There have now been four confirmed cases in the Swan City.

The province saw its largest daily increase in total new cases on Friday, as 239 cases were added across the province. That brings the province’s total number of confirmed cases to 2,397. 134 are lab-confirmed cases, while 105 are probable, according to Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

Monday, the province expanded testing qualifications to any Albertan who had symptoms of COVID-19. With that, Premier Jason Kenney said Friday the rise in totals across the province was expected.

The Premier added that over 3,000 tests have been processed at the provincial lab in the last 24 hours.

The total number of confirmed cases in Peace Region municipalities can be found below. Note that the increases include those over the last 72 hours due to the reporting issue from Tuesday evening.

  • City of Grande Prairie: Four cases (Two active, two recovered)
  • County of Grande Prairie: Five cases (Four active, one recovered)
  • M.D. of Greenview: Two cases (One active, one recovered)
  • M.D. of Smoky River: 46 cases (30 active, 11 recovered, five deaths)
  • Big Lakes County: 21 cases (Eight active, 12 recovered, one death)
  • M.D. of Lesser Slave River: Four cases (All recovered)
  • Northern Sunrise County: Three cases (All recovered)
  • M.D. of Peace: Seven cases (Two active, five recovered)
  • County of Northern Lights: One case (Recovered)
  • Mackenzie County: Six cases (Five active, one recovered)

No new deaths were reported for April 17, keeping the provincial total at 50. 1,124 individuals have recovered from COVID-19 in Alberta.

Sixty people across Alberta are currently in hospital because of COVID-19. Thirteen people are in Intensive care at this time.

7,234 people across Northern Alberta have been tested for COVID-19 as of April 17. Provincially, 89,144 have received a test.

by Shaun Penner