Alberta reports 8 more influenza deaths, over 300 new hospitalizations
Alberta reports 8 more influenza deaths, over 300 new hospitalizations
Eight more Albertans have died from influenza, according to the latest data update from health officials bringing the total so far this season to 24. The 2021-22 flu season had a total of 14 deaths.
On Thursday, Alberta Health released data showing the deaths included four adults and four seniors.
One of the adults was between the ages of 30-39, one was aged 40-49, while two were in the range of 50-59 years old.
Of the seniors, three were between the ages of 70-79, while the fourth was between 80-89 years of age.
Three of the deaths were in the Calgary zone, one was in the North zone, while Edmonton zone and Central zone each reported two.
Along with the deaths are increases in influenza cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions.
Alberta added more than 1,100 cases bringing the provincial total to 6,288 so far this season. This week cases increased by 22 per cent compared to 42 per cent the week prior.
According to Alberta Health data, this season to date has the fourth-highest number of cases in 14 seasons.
Calgary zone has the highest number of influenza cases in the province with a total of 2,233 so far this season. Of those, 408 are new, making up 18 per cent of Calgary’s total cases.
The Edmonton zone has the second-highest number of cases in Alberta, with 1,990. Of those, 247 are new.
The Central zone has 655 cases, the North zone reported 1,094 cases, while the South zone has 309. Seven cases have not been assigned a zone.
This influenza season 1,124 Albertans have required hospital care surpassing last flu season's total. That is an increase of 306 admissions or a 37 per cent increase.
The Calgary zone has had the most patients requiring hospital care this season with 454, followed by the Edmonton zone’s 366.
Of the 306 new admissions between Nov. 27 to Dec. 3, 25 per cent are under the age of nine. Forty-eight per cent are aged 60 or older.
To date, 112 people have required intensive care, an increase of 32. The majority of ICU patients have been in the Calgary zone.
Majority (12) of the new ICU admissions are people between the ages of 50 and 69. Seven children aged four or younger have also been admitted.
There have been a total of 38 outbreaks in Alberta so far this season. Majority have been at supportive living and home living sites.
Over 1.06 million influenza vaccines have been administered since Oct. 17, translating to 24 per cent of Albertans being immunized. There are also 13,000 more people vaccinated compared to this time last year.
Sixty-two per cent of Albertans 65 years or older have been vaccinated for influenza while 17.6 per cent of children between six months and four years have their vaccine.
The federal Liberals are withdrawing a controversial amendment to their guns bill that would have added many popular hunting rifles and shotguns to a list of prohibited firearms in Canada.
The Department of National Defence says Canada is working with the United States to protect sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats after a high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected.
Hundreds of customers who scan QR codes for restaurant menus across Canada are being surprised by secret menus instead, revealing the hidden costs behind the food they eat.
Big tech companies that offer online streaming services could soon be required to contribute to Canadian content as a controversial Liberal bill gets one step closer to becoming law.
Lives were 'shattered' when Kabul fell into Taliban hands, and thousands remain in limbo, unable to return to Afghanistan. CTV News' Genevieve Beauchemin recalls her visit to makeshift refugee camps set up in Pakistani parks, and the stories she heard during that time.
Many Canadians have continued to see an increase in their rental rates in 2023. In an column on CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew explains how to calculate how much rent you can afford.
China said Friday that a balloon spotted over American airspace was used for weather research and was blown off course, despite U.S. suspicion it was spying. The discovery further strained already tense relations between Beijing and Washington.
A new survey conducted by Research Co. reveals that more people in Western Canada now support a change in the federal government compared to a similar poll from June.
Aaron Benneweis, 46, has been charged by Saskatoon Police with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor while in a position of trust or authority.
A report written and reviewed by Saskatoon Water is calling on the city to create a warning system, in particular for drivers, when roadways become “dangerously flooded” due to heavy rain.
The provincial government is looking for ways to ease the workload for Saskatchewan doctors. It is proposing that pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and paramedics play a greater role in treating patients.
The federal Liberals are withdrawing a controversial amendment to their guns bill that would have added many popular hunting rifles and shotguns to a list of prohibited firearms in Canada.
A Quebec woman’s eyes welled with tears as she picked up her stolen Audi from an Ontario auto shop, not far from where her car smashed through the glass doors of a mall in an 'audacious' theft.
Those heading outside this morning are being advised to bundle up as the Greater Toronto Area and nearly all of Ontario experience a bout of bone-chilling cold.
Hundreds of customers who scan QR codes for restaurant menus across Canada are being surprised by secret menus instead, revealing the hidden costs behind the food they eat.
The Montreal fire department is advising people to avoid Sherbrooke Street East at Carignan Avenue in the Longue Pointe neighbourhood as a five-alarm fire is burning.
Hydro-Québec is asking its customers to take a few steps to reduce electricity consumption in Quebec as a period of intense cold weather began Thursday night in most regions. The utility predicts that on Friday and Saturday, electricity demand could exceed the historical peak consumption, which was about 40,500 megawatts (MW) in January 2022.
A beloved man who was a fixture on the streets of Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grace neighbourhood died last year from a combination of street drugs in his system, including fentanyl, a coroner has ruled.
The federal Liberals are withdrawing a controversial amendment to their guns bill that would have added many popular hunting rifles and shotguns to a list of prohibited firearms in Canada.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. is holding a big reveal Friday morning: the winner of a $48 million Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball draw. CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca will be streaming live from the news conference that is scheduled to begin Friday at 11 a.m. in Sault Ste. Marie, where the winner will be presented with their cheque.
Hundreds of customers who scan QR codes for restaurant menus across Canada are being surprised by secret menus instead, revealing the hidden costs behind the food they eat.
CTV News has learned that four of five RCMP officers facing charges in the death of an Indigenous man during an arrest in Prince George are still on active duty.
A man who was gunned down outside of his business in South Vancouver never got the chance to meet his daughter, a court heard as his killer was sentenced.
A teenager from Nanaimo is being hailed as a hero by his family after a suspect wielding a knife entered their business and the boy scared them off using a baseball bat.
The tight-knit community of Quadra Island, B.C., is grieving the death of 39-year-old Jessica McLaggan, whose death is being investigated as a homicide.
The Department of National Defence says Canada is working with the United States to protect sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats after a high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected.
