Spectator at Calgary minor soccer game tested positive for COVID-19

A parent of a player in the Calgary Minor Soccer Association has tested positive for COVID-19, officials have confirmed.

According to the CMSA, the spectator was watching a Final Four Championship game at the Calgary Soccer Centre on Thursday, March 5.

Susan Cress, the association’s executive director, said CMSA didn’t know any more specifics on the individual confirmed to have the virus, as it’s an Alberta Health Services matter.

The City of Calgary said it was contacted on March 11 by the association, saying that a player’s parent had a confirmed case of coronavirus.

“Our management worked with our contractor, who took action to clean the soccer centre according to their protocols for virus mitigation on the evening of March 11,” the city said.

The soccer association said because it’s currently on break between seasons, it won’t make any decisions about the outdoor season until closer to its start date of May 2.

As of Thursday, Alberta had 23 confirmed cases of the illness — one of which was a child who attended the Pump-kin Patch daycare at the Suncor Energy Centre in Calgary. The daycare would be closed until March 23, Suncor said.

1:57 Child who vacationed in Florida among Alberta’s COVID-19 cases

Alberta Health has not confirmed a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19 was at the Calgary Soccer Centre on March 5.

The government on Thursday advised all Albertans not to travel outside the country, and recommended cancelling all large gatherings or international events in the province.

1:55 Coronavirus: Large gatherings of 250 people or more discouraged in Alberta

The new coronavirus was first identified in Hubei province, China, in December 2019 and spread rapidly. While the outbreak has begun to level off in China, it seems the virus has found a foothold in a number of countries around the world, and it continues to spread.

Confused about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials say the risk is very low for Canadians, but they caution against travel to affected areas (a list can be found here). If you do travel to these places, they recommend you self-monitor to see whether you develop symptoms and if you do, to contact public health authorities.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. And if you get sick, stay at home.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.