As of Tuesday March 24 there are 1,068 positive or presumptive cases of COVID-19 from B.C. to Manitoba and 2,757 positive or presumptive cases in Canada..Alberta.The province has identified 57 new cases to bring the province’s total to 358 – 28 of which are suspected to be related to community spread..Alberta also announced its second death, a woman in her 80’s from MacKenzie Towne continuing care centre..Two staff members from the MacKenzie Towne continuing care centre have also tested positive..The number of new cases, including the most recent death is why Alberta is taking the measures they have to encourage social distancing and self-isolation if ill, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said during the press conference Wednesday..The Edmonton Bonspiel that occurred March 14-15 has resulted in 12 positive cases of COVID-19. Three of the infected physicians are from the Red Deer area – 58 patients and 97 health professionals will be contacted by Alberta Health..“This is why it is critical that individuals self-isolate at the first sign of symptoms,” Hinshaw said..Those symptoms are fever, runny nose, sore throat or cough..Dr. Hinshaw reiterated that self-isolation for those who are sick only needs to last 10 days after they become ill. Those who have no symptoms but are returning from out-of-country travel still need to self-isolate for 14 days..Additional information for Alberta residents can be found here..British Columbia.The province announced 145 new cases over the past 48 hours, bringing the province’s total to 617. 173 people have officially recovered and there are no new deaths, maintaining the province’s total at 13..Two of the new cases come from one care home each, one in Little Mountain and another in Evergreen Heights..A B.C. area dentist who attended the Pacific Dental Conference March 5-7 passed away over the weekend after contracting the virus..Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, said that the recovery numbers are increasing and 28 per cent of infected persons have recovered as of Tuesday..Additional information for B.C. residents can be found here..Manitoba.The province announced one new case of COVID-19 bringing its total to 21..A drive-thru testing site will be open in Winkler on March 25 for referrals only..“It’s really all about capacity,” Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said Tuesday..“As that capacity increases, those priorities will be people with respiratory illness in hospital, all health care workers with respiratory illness, and those priority groups in potentially closed settings such as First Nations (and) possibly corrections.”.Returning travellers will continue to be tested and still require self-isolation for 14 days..All of Manitoba’s current cases are currently recovering at home..Additional information for Manitoba residents can be found here..Saskatchewan.The province announced an additional six cases on Tuesday bringing its total to 72..A leaked document from Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) detailed a conservative estimate of up to 15,000 deaths in the province from COVID-19. The Ministry did not return a request for comment..“Based on what we know from other jurisdictions, it is critical we act immediately to expand acute care capacity to mitigate the impact of COVID-19,” SHA CEO Scott Livingstone said in a release after the leaked document was made public..“Demand will exceed capacity. All jurisdictions are facing this challenge. We are not alone. We are acting immediately to ensure Saskatchewan residents get the care they need from the right provider, at the right time, with the right supports in place.”.The release stated that SHA has “already initiated measures to ensure this demand is met.”.“Actions that people and communities must take to address this challenge include:.• Practicing good hygiene, washing hands regularly and practicing social distancing (two meters apart wherever possible);.• Abide by provincial and local travel, self-isolation, event and gathering restrictions;.• Use medical supplies effectively and efficiently so that they are there when needed;.• Avoid visiting our hospitals and long-term care facilities unless there are compassionate reasons for doing so.”.Additional information for Saskatchewan residents can be found here..Provincial tallies:.Quebec: 1013 confirmed and presumptive cases, including 1 recovered and 4 deathsBritish Columbia: 617 confirmed cases, including 5 recovered and 13 deathsOntario: 588 cases, including 5 recovered and 7 deathsAlberta: 358 confirmed cases including 2 deathsSaskatchewan: 72 confirmed and presumptive casesNova Scotia: 41 confirmed and presumptive casesNewfoundland and Labrador: 24 confirmed and presumptive casesManitoba: 21 confirmed and presumptive casesNew Brunswick: 17 confirmed and presumptive casesPrince Edward Island: 3 confirmed casesYukon: 2 confirmed casesNorthwest Territories: 1 confirmed case.Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean is a Senior Reporter with Western Standard.dmaclean@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter @Mitchell_AB
