EDMONTON -- Twelve more Albertans have died due to COVID-19 as the province's death toll increased to exceed 1,700 fatalities on Saturday.

Three of the deaths occurred yesterday and one was in December. The delay in death reporting means the 1,700th Albertan to die of COVID-19 likely already passed away sometime earlier this week. 

Alberta recorded 348 new cases on Saturday and has now tallied 126,416 total cases of COVID-19 with a current active case count of 6,266.

Hospitalizations fell by 22 down to 457. The number of patients in intensive care also fell, down five to 84.

The province recorded a 3.65 per cent test positivity percentage based on just over 10,000 tests.

More than 116,000 Albertans have received a COVID-19 vaccine through yesterday.

The province will provide another data update on Sunday. The province's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, will return for an in-person update on Monday.