A number of COVID-19 outbreaks have been declared in central Alberta, including a couple of locations in Ponoka.
The two outbreaks listed on alberta.ca for Ponoka are at the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury, and an outbreak stated as a private gathering.
Other outbreaks in central Alberta include Seasons Retirement Community and Rosealta Lodge in Camrose, and the Drumheller Health Centre.
Ponoka County has no school status to report and Bashaw School continues to be listed in the two-to-four cases category and has a status of ‘open.’
According to alberta.ca, locations of outbreaks in acute care and continuing care facilities are reported publicly when there are two or more cases, indicating that a transmission within the facility has occurred.
Prisons, correctional facilities, shelters, child care settings, work camps, food processing/manufacturing facilities and public settings (restaurants, salons, gyms) are listed when there are five or more cases.
Events and other workplaces are listed when there are 10 or more cases.
Outbreaks are declared over when four weeks have passed with no new cases. The outbreaks mentioned may not have any current transmissions happening at the time of publication.
There are currently 1,238 active cases in the central zone (according to the latest available data, current up to the end of the day on Nov. 29).
As of Dec. 1, the interactive map on alberta.ca was showing 37 active cases for Ponoka (East Ponoka County) and 24 active for Rimbey (West Ponoka County and partial Lacombe County) on the local geographic area setting.
Camrose and County shows as 103 active cases on the same setting.