COVID-19 variant strain established in Alberta and spreading in all zones, Hinshaw says
The B117 variant of the COVID-19 virus is spreading across the province and Albertans need to continue following health restrictions to prevent a rapid increase in cases, Dr. Deena Hinshaw said at a news conference Wednesday.
Alberta's chief medical officer of health reported 535 of 4,918 active cases of the disease in the province are linked to the B117 strain first identified in the U.K.
"The B117 variant is spreading in many different contexts and many different settings," Hinshaw said. "And we're seeing higher attack rates than we typically do in settings where people are exposed.
"That variant has become established in the community," she said, adding that health officials are working hard to slow its spread "but it is spreading in all zones in our province."