Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided an update on Monday afternoon. Cochrane's active cases of COVID-19 have risen to seven and Rocky View County's cases have also hit seven. The provincial numbers stand as follows:

  • 426 new cases reported over the weekend

  • 1,370 active cases in the province

  • there are 44 people in hospital and eight in ICU

  • 12,293 Albertans have recovered

Dr. Hinshaw spent the majority of the press conference discussing order 33, which over the weekend it was announced that students will not have to wear a mask while seated in the classroom. "I am very sorry for the anxiety and confusion that this order has sparked. This timing was not meant to hide information. Ironically, it was meant to be transparent. The intent was to ensure school authorities knew about the order, which codifies the guidance that has been online for weeks before the order came into effect today.” 

"No policy has changed since mandatory masking was announced on August 4."

Hinshaw was intent on explaining the decision and also to clarify that order 33 changed nothing from what was already announced. "The intention is to allow students a break from mask-wearing in the classroom, when they are seated and not facing each other, and desks are spaced as widely apart as possible. This is not new."