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If Alberta opts to close schools in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19, it would need to be until at least the end of the school year to be effective, says the province’s chief medical officer of health.

“If we do make the decision to close schools, it will be considering long-term closure,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw said in her Saturday update on Alberta’s response to the novel coronavirus. “This pandemic will not end in a matter of weeks, and there won’t be a clear opportunity to re-open schools, likely not until September at the earliest.”

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Ten additional Albertans tested positive for COVID-19 since Hinshaw’s update Friday, bringing the total number of infected Albertans to 39.

There were four new cases in the Edmonton zone and six new Calgary cases. Two of those victims — one in Edmonton and one in Calgary, both in their 60s — are in intensive care.

Eight of the cases are travel-related, while two remain under investigation.