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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.