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Two new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Calgary area, in addition to a further case near Edmonton, bringing the total number to seven across Alberta.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, said Monday that the rising global risk of exposure to COVID-19 means Albertans must start taking new precautions in their day-to-day lives to help prevent continued spread of the virus.

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“At this point, it is likely that we will be dealing with the virus worldwide for many months to come,” Hinshaw said.

“With no vaccine for this virus likely to be available for a year or more, to protect the population we need to protect each other. We can do this by covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands regularly, and most importantly we need to stay home and away from others when we are sick. It is time to start greeting each other with elbow bumps or waves instead of handshakes. This is not an overreaction, but a very practical way of limiting the spread of germs.”

All seven coronavirus cases announced by the province since last week have now been confirmed, according to Hinshaw. She said each case is travel related.