COCHRANE— The number of active COVID-19 cases in Cochrane is continuing to decline.
As of Monday (Jan. 25), there are 24 active cases of COVID-19 in Cochrane. To date, 313 cases have been reported— Two people have died and 287 people have fully recovered.
Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw reported 366 new cases of the virus have been identified in the province in the last 24 hours after the completion of 8,300 tests.
The provincial positivity rate currently sits at 4.4 per cent.
There are 626 people hospitalized due to the virus, including 108 in intensive care.
Hinshaw reported an additional 14 COVID-related deaths. To date, 1,587 Albertans have died.
There have been 99,814 doses of vaccine administered in Alberta. More than 10,000 Albertans have been fully immunized with two doses.
Hinshaw said the province is continuing to discuss when it will be safe to begin easing health measures in the province. She added the province understands many Albertans and impacted businesses are hoping to see a loosening of health measures take place at a quicker rate.
“This is understandable, and I wish it were not necessary to keep the current measures in place for a little while longer,” Hinshaw said. “We must be cautious and recognize that the health system in all parts of the province remains under strain.”
Hinshaw noted the rise of new, more contagious, variants of COVID-19 also make it imperative to move cautiously with reopening because the spread of the virus could prove to be dire for the Alberta Health care system.
The number of variant cases remains relatively small in Alberta, Hinshaw said, and the province continues to explore the best way to report on the variants in the province.
Hinshaw said Alberta public health is working to expand contact tracing that can be deployed if any potential variant cases are suspected to have been transmitted in the community.
As of now, there has been a limited amount of household transmission and there is no evidence it has spread further. Hinshaw added there is no known travel link at this time, and health teams are continuing to investigate.
There are currently 8,652 cases of COVID-19 in Alberta.
