COVID-19 in Alberta: 150 new cases as province nears 70 per cent vaccination target
Alberta drew within a few thousand first vaccination doses of its reopening target Thursday, as the province reported 150 new cases.
The province administered 5,342 first doses Wednesday, increasing the percentage of the eligible population with one shot up to 69.9 per cent, just under the 70 per cent target for Stage 3 reopening.
Alberta appears on track to meet its Stage 3 reopening target of 70 per cent of eligible Albertans having had at least one shot as soon as Friday.
- Infographics: COVID-19 in Alberta by the numbers
- COVID-19 in Edmonton: Numbers broken down by neighbourhood
Stage 3 of the province's reopening plan, which lifts virtually all health restrictions, will go into effect 14 days after the 70 per cent target is met.
Just over 920,000 individuals, or about 24.2 per cent of the eligible population, have now received a second dose of vaccine.
Also Monday, active cases fell to 2,471. Two more deaths due to COVID-19 were reported Thursday: a man and woman in their 70s from the Central and South zones respectively. Their deaths bring the total number of Albertans to have died due to COVID-19 up to 2,280.
There are now 242 people in hospital receiving care for COVID-19, including 58 in intensive care units.
The province recorded a test positivity of 2.91 per cent based on about 6,000 tests.
After strong initial demand, the pace of first shots administered tapered off quickly in early June. It took the province 20 days to go from 40 per cent of the eligible population with a first dose to 60 per cent.
Should the province reach the 70 per cent mark tomorrow, it will have taken 21 days for first doses among the eligible population to increase from 60 per cent to the 70 per cent Stage 3 threshold.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.