Alberta, B.C. And Saskatchewan See COVID-19 Cases Increase
Don’t call it a second wave, but COVID-19 cases are starting to creep back up in Western Canada.
The increase — particularly cases among young people — is setting off alarm bells for health officials there.
Alberta saw 86 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the most cases in a single day in over two months, and 82 new cases Wednesday. And B.C. and Saskatchewan have both seen uncomfortably larger than usual case rates in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, Alberta chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw said she was worried people have grown complacent.
“This pandemic has been a long haul. And I worry that Albertans may be starting to tune the messages out. It can seem like old news, and many are tired of hearing this information,” she said. “We are concerned about the recent rise in cases we are seeing, also of concern is the younger age of people infected with the virus.”
More than half of all COVID-19 cases confirmed in Alberta in the past two weeks are people under the age of 40, and 30 per cent of the total new cases haven’t been linked to existing cases.
Viral images from Sylvan Lake, a popular summer destination in the province showed throngs of people crowded together and not following social distancing guidelines.
Hinshaw said the recent uptick in cases is a reminder that even though the province has been in various reopening phases since mid-May, people must remain vigilant by adhering to social distancing, washing their hands and wearing masks when necessary.
“This is a reminder that COVID-19 can spread quickly and cases can rise rapidly if we don’t all do our part,” she said.
B.C. also seeing rise
B.C. is also seeing an uptick in cases. The province averaged around 20 new cases a day for the past week — rates that haven’t been seen since early May.
“We’ve had more than we’re used to seeing in the last few days. This is not unexpected,” B.C. chief medical officer Dr. Bonnie Henry acknowledged in her daily briefing Tuesday.
But she...
