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Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw urged people on Twitter to adhere to the current restrictions entering the week of Christmas.

“Please take restrictions seriously. And if you do go out, follow public health guidance: wash your hands, wear a mask and practice physical distancing. Most importantly, stay home if you feel even slightly sick and please book a test,” Hinshaw wrote.

“Additional restrictions may mean longer lines at grocery stores or other retail locations. Please remember to be patient; the holiday season is always busy and stressful and this year, more than ever, we need to show kindness to others.”

Canada surpasses 500,000 cases of COVID-19, Alberta surpasses 90,000

Canada surpassed 500,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday as infections continued to surge.

The latest 100,000 cases were recorded in just 15 days across the country, marking the shortest growth period since the pandemic was declared in March.

It took six months for Canada to register its first 100,000 cases of the virus, another four to reach 200,000, less than a month to hit 300,000 and 18 days to hit 400,000.

The new cases reported Sunday pushed Alberta’s total above 90,000, as the provincial death toll reached 851.

It took until Oct. 9 for Alberta to record its first 20,000 cases of the novel coronavirus. Since then, the province has confirmed another 70,000 cases.

The test positivity rate on Sunday was 7.1 per cent, which is one of the lowest rates since mid-November. On Saturday, the positivity rate was 7.3 per cent.