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Albertans worried about the coronavirus have overwhelmed Health Link 811.

The 24/7 free health service was bombarded with calls looking for advice on COVID-19 early Saturday afternoon, creating longer-than-usual wait times. Alberta Health Services said it was adding call support.

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Alberta Health spokesperson Tom McMillan wasn’t surprised by the influx of calls, given the province recently announced its first two presumptive cases, one in Calgary and one in Edmonton.

“This is good, in that this is what we are directing Albertans to do, but we are seeing higher volumes than we have seen recently,” he said. “We are asking Albertans to be patient and stay on the line and staff will attend them as soon as possible.”

He also wanted to remind Albertans the risk of contracting the virus is still low, and that only those who have recently returned from travelling abroad and are currently experiencing symptoms should feel the need to call.