Alberta Health said two more deaths have been linked to COVID-19 in the province and Alberta’s number of active coronavirus cases rose by 123 on Friday.
The latest COVID-19 fatalities involved a man in his 50s in the North zone and a woman in her 70s in the Edmonton zone. The woman’s case included comorbidities but Alberta Health said at this time, there are no known comorbidities in the man’s case. The number of people in Alberta who have now died from the disease is 2,322.
“I extend my condolences to anyone grieving a loss today, due to COVID(-19) or any other reason,” chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw tweeted on Friday afternoon.
“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and prevent community transmission. Book your appointment today if you haven’t yet had a first or second dose.”
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As of Friday afternoon, Alberta had 799 active COVID-19 cases, up from 676 the day before. The Calgary zone has more active cases than any other part of the province, with 473, while the Edmonton zone has the next highest number with 155.
Alberta Health said the province added 98 new coronavirus cases on Thursday out of 7,609 tests.
When asked why the number of new COVID-19 cases did not match the rise in total number of active cases since Thursday, a spokesperson for Alberta Health provided Global News with a brief statement to explain.
“That is the net number identified,” the statement reads. “The total by calendar day is listed online. The active case increase or decrease does not always mirror the number of new cases identified as it reflects all cases recovered and active on any given day.”
Of the people in the province with COVID-19, 84 are currently in hospital and 26 of those are in intensive care units.
READ MORE: COVID-19: Alberta’s first dose vaccination rate reaches 75%
As of Thursday, the province had administered 5,157,947 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Watch below: Some recent videos about the COVID-19 situation in Alberta.