Alberta COVID-19 hospitalizations down, as ICU admissions see two-week incline
Alberta now has 465 people in hospital with COVID-19, 25 of whom are receiving care in ICUs.
That is a decrease of 21 hospitalizations and an increase of 14 ICU admissions since the last Alberta Health update on Mar. 15.
The province was scheduled to release its weekly data on Mar. 22 but did not, citing technical issues, instead opting to release both last week's and this week's data on Wednesday.
The last time Alberta's hospitalization numbers were this low was Jan. 2, 2022.
In terms of ICU admissions, this is the highest number seen in Alberta since Feb. 1.
According to the province, 211 of the 490 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Mar. 20 were hospitalized for reasons directly related to the virus, while the other 279 people were admitted for other reasons, but incidentally tested positive. In the ICU, 60 per cent of patients were being treated because of COVID-19.
Alberta’s total number of COVID-19-related deaths went up by 24 since they were last reported. Four of those deaths belong to this week.
Alberta Health has counted 397 new COVID-19 cases after 4,885 PCR tests this week. The number of lab tests has gone up for two weeks, while the number of new cases went up last week, and went down by a single case this week in comparison.
The number of new cases is likely higher than reported because of testing limitations and because the province doesn't count positive results from rapid tests.
The average positivity rate is now at 8.57 per cent.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
On Mar. 27, 2020, 35 Albertans were hospitalized with COVID-19. On the same date in 2021, 276 patients were in hospital with the virus, compared to 953 last year, and 465 this year.
In 2020, there were 13 people with COVID-19 in intensive care on Mar. 27, compared to 62 in 2021, 45 last year, and 25 this year.
It is not known how many people in 2020 and 2021 were hospitalized and admitted to the ICU because of the virus versus people who were admitted for other reasons and incidentally tested positive, as that statistic was only made available by Alberta Health as of February 2022.
Alberta had 1,213 COVID-19-related deaths in 2020 and 2,106 in 2021. Last year had the highest number of fatalities, with 2,111.
There have been 213 COVID-19-related deaths so far this year, bringing the province's pandemic death toll to 5,643.
The next data update is scheduled for Wednesday, April 5.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.