Alberta reports 1,112 new cases of COVID-19 as hospitalizations top 300
4 additional deaths reported Thursday
Alberta announced its highest new case number in months Thursday as 1,112 new COVID-19 cases were reported.
The province is currently leading the country in daily new COVID cases while active cases continue to grow.
Hospitalizations from COVID-19 are also on the rise. Alberta now has 308 people in hospital for COVID-19, an increase of 24 from Wednesday's update and 108 from last Thursday's update.
There are currently 64 Albertans being treated for COVID-19 in intensive care beds. Of those in hospital for COVID-19, about 80 per cent are unvaccinated, three per cent are partially vaccinated and 17 per cent are fully vaccinated.
There are now 9,066 active cases in the province, with the Edmonton region leading all other health zones.
Here's a regional breakdown of active COVID-19 cases in Alberta:
- Edmonton zone: 2,857
- Calgary zone: 2,673
- North zone: 1,491
- South zone: 1,055
- Central zone: 967
- Unknown: 23
The new cases were detected on 10,572 COVID-19 tests Wednesday with a positivity rate around 10.56 per cent. Alberta labs also detected 692 cases of variants of concern. Of the 9,066 known active cases in the province, 7,131 are variants of concern.
Four additional deaths from COVID-19 were reported Thursday, bringing the total to 2,360.
As of the latest update, 77.6 per cent of eligible Albertans have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 69.2 per cent have had two doses. Of Alberta's total population, about 58.8 per cent have had both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The province released a new 'proof of vaccination FAQ' on its website Thursday, aiming to answer questions related to proof of vaccination. Health Minister Tyler Shandro reiterated in a Twitter post that the province will not be bringing in a vaccine passport system, something other provinces are planning on implementing.