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Photo courtesy of Alberta Health / Government of Alberta
By Shaun Penner
COVID-19 UPDATE: January 21

Eleven new COVID-19 cases in Grande Prairie; no restrictions being eased in province

Jan 21, 2021 | 4:05 PM

The City of Grande Prairie added 11 new cases of COVID-19 and 18 more recoveries for January 20, bringing the city’s active case total down to 178.

Seven new cases were reported in the County of Grande Prairie alongside four more recoveries. There are now 53 active cases there.

Updated case totals among Peace Region municipalities as of the end of day January 20 are as follows:

  • City of Grande Prairie: 1,063 cases (178 active, 871 recovered, 14 deaths)
  • County of Grande Prairie: 321 cases (53 active, 264 recovered, four deaths)
  • M.D. of Greenview: 272 cases (72 active, 199 recovered, one death)
  • Birch Hills County: Nine cases (two active, seven recovered)
  • M.D. of Spirit River: 42 cases (one active, 41 recovered)
  • Saddle Hills County: 15 cases (one active, 14 recovered)
  • M.D. of Smoky River: 103 cases (nine active, 84 recovered, 10 deaths)
  • Big Lakes County: 421 cases (105 active, 309 recovered, seven deaths)
  • M.D. of Lesser Slave River: 157 cases (21 active, 136 recovered)
  • M.D. of Peace: 334 cases (54 active, 280 recovered)
  • M.D. of Fairview: 56 cases (55 recovered, one death)
  • Clear Hills County: 106 cases (two active, 103 recovered, one death)
  • Northern Sunrise County: 209 cases (34 active, 175 recovered)
  • County of Northern Lights: 72 cases (two active, 70 recoveries)
  • Mackenzie County: 521 cases (23 active, 483 recovered, 15 deaths)

The province added 678 new cases for Wednesday after 14,060 tests were completed at the provincial lab, creating a positivity rate of about 4.8 per cent.

Hospitalizations decreased to 726 as of Wednesday night, with 119 of those individuals in an ICU. In the North Zone, 75 people are in hospital, eight of whom are in intensive care.

Despite recent positivity rates coming down, as well as hospitalizations and daily new case counts, chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw says no current public health restrictions will be eased Thursday.

“I know the current restrictions are very difficult for many Albertans, including business owners,” said Dr. Hinshaw, adding the measures are working.

“At the same time, we are not in the clear just yet. That is why no additional measures are being eased at this time.”

Hinshaw says Alberta’s active case rate is still the second-highest in Canada, and that though hospitalizations are decreasing, “they remain high” and that the health-care system is still under significant stress.

“We need to continue driving community transmission down.”

Sixteen more deaths linked to COVID-19 were announced on Thursday, bringing the province’s death toll to 1,500.

96,506 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered as of Wednesday night.

by Shaun Penner