A woman in her fifties from the Calgary Health Zone, who was on a Grand Princess Cruise Ship in California, has the first presumptive case of COVID-19 — cornonavirus — in Alberta.
“(She) returned on Feb. 21 and she has been isolated at home since Feb. 28,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Chief Medical Officer of Health during a press conference on March 5. “She is expected to make a full recovery.”
She stressed the test for COVID-19 for the individual has not been confirmed by the National Lab. However, it did test positive at the provincial level. Officials detected the case on March 5.
The Calgary Health zone includes Okotoks, Black Diamond, Turner Valley, High River and Foothills County as well as Calgary. It extends from Lake Louise to Gleichen east to west and from Didsbury to Claresholm north to south. There are approximately 1.5 million people living in the zone.
She said public health measures have already been put into place to prevent the spread of the virus.
Hinshaw added public health officials are reaching out to individuals who have been in contact with the woman. Those who have been in contact with her are asked to stay at home for 14 days since their last contact with the individual.
She stressed the risk to Albertans concerning COVID-19 “is still low… and we are ready.”
While the individual was not self-isolated from Feb. 21 to Feb. 28, Hinshaw could not comment specifically how much contact the woman had with the public.
“The preliminary information would indicate there was not a great deal — again I don’t have a specific number — but the information that has been shared with me doesn’t indicate that this person had many contacts in that time period, but the details of that is still to come,” she said.
Hinshaw asked any Albertans who were aboard the Grand Princess Cruise Ship in the past two weeks to stay home for 14 days regardless of how they are feeling.
As of March 5, 2020, 36 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Canada according to the government of Canada website.
The Foothills School Division recently cancelled all international student field trips. A Foothills Composite trip at the end of March to Italy, where several cases of COVID-19 have been reported, was scheduled.
Hinshaw urged Albertans to regularly wash hands, avoid touching one’s face and if feeling sick to stay home.
For more information go to https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx
