Alberta Health said Monday that 1,017 new COVID-19 cases were identified in the province over the weekend while three more people have died of the disease.
The health department said 244 cases were identified on Sunday, 375 on Saturday and 398 on Friday.
With the new cases, Alberta currently has 3,380 active coronavirus cases. With 1,593 active COVID-19 cases, the Calgary zone is where nearly half of the province’s coronavirus cases are currently located. The Edmonton zone has 724 cases, the North Zone has 424 cases, the South zone has 421 cases, the Central zone has 211 cases and seven cases have not been linked to any particular zone.
With the three latest COVID-19 fatalities, the total number of people who have died of the illness in Alberta is now at 2,328.
As of Monday afternoon, there were 129 people in hospital with COVID-19 and 26 of those people were in intensive care units.
Of Albertans 12 and older who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine shot, 76.4 per cent have now had a first dose while 66.9 per cent have now had two doses.
READ MORE: Alberta government releases review of province’s initial response to COVID-19
As of Sunday, Alberta’s COVID-19 positivity rate was at 5.42 per cent. The most recent publication of Alberta’s R-value was for the July 19-25 date range, during which Alberta has a 1.48 R-value.
- B.C. to ban drug use in all public places in major overhaul of decriminalization
- 3 women diagnosed with HIV after ‘vampire facials’ at unlicensed U.S. spa
- Solar eclipse eye damage: More than 160 cases reported in Ontario, Quebec
- ‘Super lice’ are becoming more resistant to chemical shampoos. What to use instead
Amid ongoing protests against his government’s plan to scale back testing and contact tracing and to remove the requirement that people with COVID-19 self-isolate, the Alberta Medical Association section of pediatrics has sent a letter to Premier Jason Kenney to express its concerns with the new approach to the disease.
READ MORE: Pediatricians plead for strong COVID-19 measures: ‘Abdication of our responsibility’
When asked about the letter on Monday, Kenney said “it’s hardly a revelation that there is a diversity of views in how best to address the COVID challenge.”
“We’ve accepted without modification the proposal of the chief medical officer for health, based on the extensive research of our public health officials on the new reality of COVID here in Alberta, and around the world, with the widespread protective effect of vaccines.”
The removal of the requirement that people with COVID-19 self-isolate takes effect next week.
–With files from The Canadian Press’ Alanna Smith
Comments