EDMONTON -- Dr. Deena Hinshaw reported 46 new cases of COVID-19 Friday after the province conducted approximately 9,000 tests in the past 24 hours.
Active cases of the coronavirus increased once again, now totalling 512. Hospitalization numbers remain steady with 39 cases in hospital, including six in ICUs.
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No new deaths were reported Friday.
Calgary remains ahead of Edmonton in COVID-19 cases with 209 and 201, respectively.
Alberta's had a total of 7,625 cases of COVID-19 and 152 deaths to date.
'THE VIRUS IS STILL HERE'
A week into Stage 2, Alberta has 173 more active cases of COVID-19 than it had two weeks ago.
"We did expect to potentially see an increase in cases during Stage 2 as more Albertans began interacting in their communities," she said.
On Friday, Hinshaw reported 24 new cases connected to two funerals in the Edmonton and North zones, with "many more potentially exposed," 12 cases at an apartment building in the Calgary Zone where Alberta Health suspects high-touch surface transmission, as well as an outbreak at an Edmonton Waste Management Centre.
"The virus is still here it is not going anywhere," Hinshaw said.
As for positive signs, Hinshaw said most new cases come from a known source and that there are only 26 active cases at continuing care facilities.
"So far we have not seen outbreaks or significant transmission related to any outdoor activities," she added. "These are all positive signs."
The doctor asked Albertans to be careful at gatherings such as birthday parties and work meetings where people are not physically distancing or wearing masks.
"The bottom line, though, is that anywhere people can gather, not distanced or wearing facemasks, COVID-19 can easily pass from one person to the next," Hinshaw said.
Hinshaw will provide her next COVID-19 update Tuesday afternoon.
