The Town of Drumheller remains on enhanced status with 63 active cases of COVID-19 as of Monday, November 23 and, on Wednesday, November 18, a second death due to COVID-19 was reported locally.
Across the province, there are currently 13,166 active cases, with 2,1110 of those in the Central Zone which includes Drumheller. Due to the ongoing rise in cases, local groups have had to cancel or postpone events.
“After careful consideration, the difficult decision has been made to cancel the Festival of Lights event that was scheduled for Saturday, November 21,” stated an email from Festival of Lights Planning Committee. The smaller Tree Trimming event on Friday, November 20 will still go ahead and be limited to the family and cohort groups already registered; the committee is also looking to reschedule the Festival of Lights.
There is an ongoing outbreak at the Drumheller Institution and visitations are not being accommodated at this time. A media relations advisor told the Mail, “As of today (Thursday, November 19), there are no positive inmate cases at Drumheller Institution. There are nine active cases of COVID-19 among staff who work at Drumheller Institution. Staff who are symptomatic or receive a positive result for COVID-19 are required to self-isolate at home until they are cleared to return to work.”
A report from Loblaws also identified a positive case at the Drumheller Extra Foods on Tuesday, November 17. The team member last worked on Friday, November 13.
“Almost a quarter of all our COVID-19 deaths have happened since November 1,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw said during the COVID-19 update on Wednesday. “If we do not change our trajectory, the implications are grim. The daily COVID-19 death count is a tragic reminder that COVID-19 is not ‘just a flu’--it is life and death.”
Kneehill County, which was previously taken off enhanced status, has been placed back on the list with 13 active cases, and Wheatland County also remains on enhanced status with 22 cases. Starland County currently has three active cases.
All numbers are current as of Sunday, November 22.
