A man in his 30s from High Prairie has died of COVID-19.

The Alberta government announced the first fatality in northern Alberta on Monday. The man has been identified as Shawn Auger.

article continues below

“Big Lakes County is deeply saddened by the news of our first COVID-19 death," said the Big Lakes municipality in a statement.

"Council and Staff would like to offer their deepest condolences to Shawn Auger’s family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, as well as everyone in the community of Grouard. We are a close knit community and this news will be hard for everyone.”

Auger was the vice-president of High Prairie Minor Hockey, and had also worked for the Alberta government, according to the Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune.

His death was one of five reported in the province on Monday, and there are now 45 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in northern Alberta, and 691 province-wide.

“Each one of these individuals had a life that mattered, and people who loved them, so I think that’s the hard part, is having so many in one day," said Alberta's Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

There are three COVID-19 cases in the Grande Prairie region, and 8 others in the Peace River area.

Across the rest of the region, there are 6 cases in Falher, five in High Prairie, and 1 in Valleyview. There is also 1 case in the High Level area.