EDMONTON -- Alberta’s top doctor reported 1,301 COVID-19 cases after more than 19,000 tests, and 19 deaths on Wednesday.
Active cases of the coronavirus decreased to 17,821 across the province, but hospitalizations increased to 821, Dr. Deena Hinshaw said.
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Alberta Health has reported 93,781 cases, 75,070 recoveries and 890 deaths since March.
TREND IN SCHOOL-AGED CASE NUMBERS
When COVID-19 cases saw a sharp increase in November, the province paused team sports and sent junior high and high school students home to reduce spread.
Elementary students stayed at school, but new case rates for all three age groups first plateaued and then began to drop similarly, Hinshaw said.
“The similar trend in all three age groups supports the other evidence we have seen, suggesting that the school model in place is protective against in-school transmission. Instead, it seems that it is mainly all the other in-person activities that children undertake that are exposing them to the virus and helping to spread COVID-19.”
All Alberta students will learn from home Jan. 4-8, and are scheduled to return to in-person learning Jan. 11.
HOLIDAY DATA
The chief medical officer of health’s Twitter account will announce preliminary COVID-19 numbers between Dec. 24-27 (but not on Christmas Day) and Dec. 31 to Jan. 3.
Hinshaw will give an in-person update on Dec. 28 at 3:30 p.m. and won’t return until Jan. 5 at the same time.
The province’s website will post data on Dec. 29 and 30, and Jan. 4. — all at 3:30 p.m.
