COVID-19 in Alberta: 14 deaths as hospitalizations continue to trend downward
Alberta’s COVID-19 death count grew by 14 on Wednesday, including that of a person in their 20s from the South Zone, while the number of patients in hospital continued to gradually trend downward, according to Wednesday’s data update.
Seventy-nine Albertans have now died due to COVID-19 over the past seven days.
The deaths reported on Wednesday were spread across several days and bring the total number of COVID-19 deaths up to 3,804. The death of the person in their 20s was the 24th of a person under 30 since the start of the pandemic.
- Infographics: COVID-19 in Alberta by the numbers
- COVID-19 in Edmonton: Numbers broken down by neighbourhood
- Infographics: COVID-19 cases in Calgary
The remaining deaths were in individuals ranging in age from in their 40s to more than 80 years old.
The latest initial count of patients with COVID-19 in hospital sits at 1,500, but is also likely to rise slightly in the coming days due to routine data revisions for accuracy and reporting delays.
Tuesday’s count, initially reported as 1,538, was revised to 1,561.
The 30 highest patient counts have all come in the last 30 days, including a record-high 1,676 on Feb. 7.
The seven-day average of hospitalizations has trended down for more than a week now.
Friday’s patient count includes 121 in intensive care units, a decrease of seven over the last seven days. The ICU patient count has held steady between 103 and 134 since Jan. 17.
There are now just over 17,600 known active cases in Alberta after 888 new cases were confirmed Wednesday. Limits to testing capacity and eligibility mean the actual number of cases is many times higher.
Unvaccinated Albertans are outnumbered nearly four-to-one by those who have had at least a first shot of vaccine, but remain many times more likely to experience a severe outcome due to COVID-19 including hospitalization or death.
Alberta has now administered more than eight million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, with 80.7 per cent of the population having had at least one dose and 75.4 per cent having had two shots.
More than a third of Albertans, 34.8 per cent, have now also received a third dose. And, close to 268,000 doses have been administered to children aged between five and 11 years old.
The next data update is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
The province’s data dashboard will not be updated on the upcoming Family Day Monday. Figures from over the long weekend will be updated on Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.