4 more COVID-19 deaths confirmed in Alberta but hospitalization numbers continue decline

Four more deaths have been linked to COVID-19 in Alberta, the province’s chief medical officer of health tweeted on Friday afternoon.

“My sympathy goes out to all who have lost a loved one,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw tweeted.

The total number of COVID-19 fatalities since the virus arrived in the province a little over two years ago is now 4,023.

Despite the latest deaths, the number of people with COVID-19 in Alberta hospitals continues to trend downwards.

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As of Friday afternoon, Alberta Health said there were 966 people with COVID-19 in hospitals, down one from a day earlier. Of those patients, 62 were receiving care in intensive care units Friday afternoon, down five from Thursday.

READ MORE: Alberta to change frequency of online COVID-19 reporting as recent data is ‘promising’

However, the total number of lab-confirmed active coronavirus cases in the province rose to 6,583 on Friday, up from 6,552 a day earlier.

On Friday afternoon, Alberta Health said 502 new cases of COVID-19 had been identified in the past 24 hours. Hinshaw said the province’s positivity rate currently sits at 20.1 per cent.

Because few Albertans meet the criteria to be eligible for PCR testing, health officials have previously noted that the number of both new and total active COVID-19 cases in the province is likely far higher than what is being reported.