Alberta Health Services has confirmed the two COVID-19 cases among staff at the Claresholm General Hospital have recovered, and the outbreak has ended.
“The safety of all patients and healthcare workers is our top priority. The COVID-19 outbreak at the Claresholm General Hospital was declared over on Sunday, June 21,” said James Wood, director, issues management and media relations for Alberta Health Services, in a June 23 statement.
“AHS previously identified two COVID-19 cases among staff at Claresholm General Hospital and an outbreak was declared at the facility on June 5. All required personal protective equipment and screening protocols were in place at the time, so the risk of transmission within the facility was considered low.
“All staff and patients were screened and tested for COVID-19 and no additional cases were detected. In total, only the two initial positives cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in staff members. These cases are considered recovered.
“Enhanced screening and infection prevention and control measures remain in place at the facility.
“The Emergency Department is open, as it was through the outbreak, and Claresholm General Hospital continues to be a safe place to receive care.”
At that same time the geospatial map posted by Alberta Health of COVID-19 positive cases indicated the Claresholm area had five cases, with two active and three listed as recovered.
Clicking on the local geographic area on June 23 showed there are no active cases of COVID-19 in the Claresholm area and five recovered cases.
It must be noted the Claresholm area encompasses more than the town itself but extends from Parkland all the way south to Highway 519.
Alberta Health Services does not release any specific details on positive COVID-19 cases.
The Government of Alberta continues to update information on cases of COVID-19 at https://covid19stats.alberta.ca/ (no dashes or spaces).