EDMONTON -- COVID-19 is a growing problem in rural Alberta after weeks of rising case counts, deaths and hospitalizations in Alberta's cities. 

"COVID is not a Calgary problem, or an Edmonton problem. This is a provincial problem within the context of a global problem," Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province's chief medical officer of health said on Dec. 3. 

As of Thursday morning, the province's four largest major municipalities make up 72.5 per cent of active cases with 58 per cent of Alberta's population. 

But like in the rest of the province, cases in rural Alberta are growing, with hotspots in Cardston county with 37 active cases and six deaths, and Warner county with 27 actives and two recorded deaths. 

At the health zone level, cases in the more rural central and north zones have grown rapidly in past two weeks. 

The Central Zone has 1,500 more than double the 714 it was reporting as recently as Nov 21. 

Similarly has seen a near doubling of its active cases since mid-November, with 1,213 actives reported Wednesday, up from 645 on Nov. 16.

"The virus is spreading at an alarming rate in every region of the province, and many of those who fall ill in rural areas do end up being cared for in the increasingly hard pressed large urban hospitals for the bottom line is that we must have a coordinated province wide approach now," said Premier Jason Kenney on Tuesday.

Hospitalizations for rural areas are also showing smaller increases but conclusions are limited as the data is reported by location of hospitalization, and not by patient address as is done with total cases. 

Alberta has recorded 73,488 total cases of COVID-19 since March and introduced a slew of new restriction, including a province-wide mask mandate, earlier this week.

Also among the restrictions are a ban on in-restaurant dining, with service being limited to take-out or delivery only. 

Restaurateurs in smaller towns says while establishments in bigger cities can abide by those rules and partly weather the financial storm, it's a different story in rural Alberta. 

"We're a small community and we haven't had very many cases," said Isaak Friesen, owner of the Prairie Chef restaurant in Barrhead. 

The town's mayor, Dave McKenzie, empathizes and says many residents were already following restrictions and that the biggest effect of the new restrictions will be on the local rec centre. 

McKenzie says the rise in rural cases warrants the restrictions, and that better times are ahead once they are lifted. 

"We just need to deal with it," McKenzie said. 

"We need to take it on, head on. Do what's suggested and hopefully we can expedite us getting out of this situation."