Two new COVID-19 cases linked to doctors’ curling bonspiel

Two people from the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine tested positive for COVID-19 after attending an Edmonton curling bonspiel that played host to more than 50 physicians last weekend, the university said in an email to faculty and students on Friday.

“These individuals are now in self-isolation,” president Ed Mccauley said in the email.

“As per standard practice for all cases of COVID -19, Alberta Health Services has directly contacted any individual considered exposed to these cases, and these people are now also in self-isolation and being tested for COVID-19.

“We’re hopeful that the steps we’re recommending everyone take in their day to day work here at the university — social distancing, in particular — will mean there is no further transmission of this virus.”

More than 50 doctors from across Western Canada attended the bonspiel, which was held in Edmonton from March 11-14.

The event became the source of a public health concern after the president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association released a statement saying he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Wednesday and that he believes he contracted the virus at the bonspiel.

The individual who introduced COVID -19 to the bonspiel was returning from a trip to Las Vegas, Alberta chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said on Thursday.

Since the event occurred before the province introduced restrictions on all public gatherings of more than 50 people, it was allowed to take place as long as social distancing measures were followed.

Hinshaw said that all bonspiel attendees must self-isolate for 14 days. She said attendees have been notified by event organizers and that public health officials were beginning to contact attendees directly on Friday.

“I would hope that the doctors who were in this situation are following recommendations and we’re going to make sure that they understand that,” Hinshaw said, adding that not all doctors had yet been contacted.

Alberta Health declined to comment on the specific cases, citing patient confidentiality, but said they had been in touch with all Albertans at risk of having contracted COVID -19 at the bonspiel.