COVID-19 Weekly Regional Update
Michelle Pinon
News Advertiser
The number of COVID-19 cases continues to decline throughout Alberta.
Province-wide there were 127,570 total cases, (339 cases on Feb. 9), 120,136 recovered cases, 1,728 deaths, 5,706 active cases, 421 people in hospital and 77 people in Intensive Care. A total of 129,452 vaccine doses have been administered to approximately 37,000 Albertans.
As of February 9 there were 569 cases, 13 active cases, 549 recovered cases, and 7 deaths in Smoky Lake County. There were 110 cases, 3 active cases, 105 recovered cases, and 2 deaths in the County of Two Hills. There were 150 cases, 8 active cases, 139 recovered cases, and 4 deaths in Vegreville/Minburn County. There were 86 cases, 8 active cases, 79 recovered cases, and 0 deaths in Lamont County. There were 94 cases, 4 active cases, 89 recovered cases, and 1 death in Tofield (Beaver County West). There were 90 cases, 2 active cases, 87 recovered cases, and 1 death in Viking (Beaver County East)
Dr. Deena Hinshaw stated, “I am pleased to say that 71% of residents of long-term care and designated supportive living have now received both doses of vaccine.
These people are most at risk of severe outcomes, and the rest will receive vaccines in the coming weeks, according to their immunization schedule.
Others who are 75 and over who live in supportive living sites not in the designated category will be offered immunization when enough vaccine arrives to begin the seniors’ immunization rollout.”
Dr. Hinshaw touched on the impact COVID-19 is having on the mental health and wellbeing of many people across the province, the country and around the world. She encouraged people to seek support as there are a variety of resources available to them.
Isolation, staying distanced from one another, financial hardships, remote learning, teleworking, keeping up with new information and coping with sickness and death impacts all of us.”
She also discussed the findings of a survey the Health Quality Council of Alberta released last fall.
“Its findings are not surprising:
- 70 percent of Albertan respondents reported feeling stressed out,
- 46 percent expressed loneliness,
- And more than half felt that their mental health had gotten worse.
Similarly, a national Canadian Mental Health Association survey in December found 40 percent of Albertan respondents felt their mental health had deteriorated since the onset of the pandemic.”
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