Five people living at the Covenant Health Youville Home in St. Albert have died from COVID-19, according to the province.
The five people who died in St. Albert were recorded as part of 38 deaths in the province reported to Alberta Health on Tuesday.
A woman in her 80s died from the virus on Dec. 30. A man in his 80s died on Jan. 1. The next day, a woman in her 80s died from COVID-19. All three cases included underlying health conditions, according to Alberta Health.
A woman in her 100s died on Jan. 6. A woman in her 80s passed away on Jan. 10. Both had underlying health conditions.
"Our residents and their families are part of the community at Youville Home. Our teams mourn the loss of each resident. We offer our deepest condolences to the families, friends and caregivers of those we’ve lost during this pandemic," wrote Cecilia Marion, senior director of operations at the Youville Home, in an email to the Gazette.
"From the beginning of the pandemic, we have been in frequent, regular contact with families and loved ones of our residents to keep them informed and to provide ongoing updates. We continue to support the families and our staff through these difficult times."
The news comes after the facility started immunization on New Years Eve. On Tuesday, Marion said that the majority of residents and staff have received their first COVID-19 vaccination, "which provides an extra layer of protection for our staff, our residents and our community here in St Albert."
"As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain focused on doing all we can to ensure the health and safety of our residents and staff," she wrote.
"We continue to work tirelessly and collaboratively, following all public health orders and directives to address this challenging situation and to ensure a safe environment for care."
Twenty-eight St. Albertans are now confirmed to have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began last March. On Tuesday, the city had 184 active cases of the virus. In total, 1,549 St. Albertans are listed as having recovered.
