COVID-19 in Alberta: 788 weekend cases, 1 death as Omicron count grows to 11

Alberta reported 788 new cases of COVID-19 and five more deaths on Monday, as the number of Omicron cases in the province grew to 11. 

Monday’s report included weekend data from Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

• Infographics: COVID-19 in Alberta by the numbers
• COVID-19 in your community: Edmonton’s coronavirus status in numbers

The deaths were in those aged between in their 50s to over 80 years old and bring the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 in Alberta up to 3,263.

There are now 366 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, including 72 in intensive care units.

Eight new cases of the Omicron variant were detected over the weekend. Eight of the 11 total cases cases are in Calgary Zone, two are in the Edmonton Zone, and the remaining case is in the North Zone.

An additional 12th case was identified but is in a person living out of the province and not included in the tally.

On Monday, the province's top doctor tweeted that some household members of those cases have tested positive for COVID-19, but have not yet been confirmed as Omicron.

An elementary school in the North Zone and a high school have also been notified after two of the contacts attended classes.

"The schools will notify any potentially exposed groups & additional testing is being recommended. It is recommended that anyone who receives a notification letter go for testing & monitor for symptoms. Anyone w/COVID-19 symptoms must isolate & should be tested through AHS," Dr. Deena Hinshaw tweeted Monday morning.

The schools are being given rapid tests to distribute to families so they can monitor at home.

"Unvaccinated children may continue to attend school & childcare but should avoid crowded public places for 14 days after the last exposure. Fully vaccinated may continue to attend school & other activities but should monitor closely for symptoms," the tweet read.

According to Hinshaw, the increase in Omicron infections was not "unexpected."

"Identifying these cases early is a testament to the work of our public health lab & front-line public health teams. We will continue to monitor the situation carefully & keep Albertans updated," she said.

Also Monday, vaccination data was updated for the first time since Thursday. Among all Albertans, 77.2 per cent have had at least one dose of vaccine, and 71.8 per cent of the entire population has had a second dose.

More than 63,000 doses of vaccine have now been administered to children between the ages of five and 11.

Unvaccinated Albertans remain significantly more likely to suffer a severe outcome after contracting COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.

Alberta’s next data update is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.