COVID-19 in Alberta: 26 new deaths, hospitalizations remain steady

Alberta reported 2,086 new infections of COVID-19 on Friday as the number of patients in hospital with the disease remained steady.

Those cases were identified after the province completed more than 6,200 tests. There are now 32,711 known active cases of COVID-19 in Alberta. However, testing capacity and eligibility limits mean the actual number of new and active COVID-19 infections is likely much higher.

The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 remained at 1,584, what was reported on Thursday. That represents a slight decline from Wednesday's revised patient count of 1,648 — a new pandemic high.

The 1,584 includes 118 patients in intensive care units — an increase of six since Thursday. Alberta's ICU count has held steady between 104 and 114 patients since Jan. 17.

The Edmonton zone leads the province for patients in ICU with 49, while the Calgary zone has 45.

Twenty-six more deaths from the disease were reported Friday, raising the pandemic total to 3,634. The deaths are spread across several days and were in individuals ranging in age from in their 40s to more than 90 years old, with the majority being seniors.

The Calgary zone has more than 13,100 active cases, while the Edmonton zone has 9,961. The Central and North zones have 3,602 and 2,892 active infections of COVID-19, respectively, while the South zone reported 2,751.

OTHER COVID-19 RELATED NEWS 

According to Hinshaw, Alberta Health data indicates the province has likely passed the peak of COVID-19 cases from the fifth wave, but she doesn't believe it's time to switch to an endemic approach. 

Premier Jason Kenney, however, promised a plan would come early next week to end Alberta's COVID-19 restrictions "in the very near future."

Edmonton's mayor is among the voices pleading with the Alberta government not to relax public health measures "too soon and too fast."

RCMP escorted some truckers into the United States at Alberta's Coutts border crossing on Thursday when a second blockade on a highway leading to the main crossing opened to traffic.