EDMONTON -- Alberta registered 37 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, increasing the active case total to 509 province wide.

Hospitalization numbers saw a sharp decrease Friday, from 38 to 27, but ICU admissions remained at eight, according to Alberta's COVID-19 data website.

There were no new deaths reported Friday.

Edmonton still has the most active infections with 223, with Calgary second at 178.

Alberta has had 7,888 cases, 7,225 recoveries and 154 deaths to date.

Hospital outbreak

Officials at the Misericorida Community Hospital in Edmonton are still responding to COVID-19 outbreaks on two units.

As of Friday, the hospital has nine patients who have tested positive for the virus, an increase of three cases since Thursday. There are also seven staff members who have tested positive, an increase of two since Thursday.

One patient at the hospital also died as a result of the virus on Thursday.

Hospital officials said outbreak protocols have been implemented, and only urgent emergent and oncology surgeries are being performed.

All patients on the affected units are being tested, as well as staff members who have worked on been present on the units, even if they are not showing symptoms.

Visitors to the affected units are being restricted.