COVID-19 in Alberta: 18 deaths as hospitalizations fall under 1,500

The number of COVID-19 patients in Alberta hospitals has fallen below 1,500 for the first time since late January, according to the province’s data update on Thursday.

The latest report has 1,491 patients with COVID-19 in hospital, though that count will likely rise in the coming days as data is routinely updated for accuracy and to account for reporting delays.

• Infographics: COVID-19 in Alberta by the numbers
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• Infographics: COVID-19 cases in Calgary

Yesterday’s count of 1,500 was adjusted upwards on Thursday to 1,531.

The seven-day average of total hospitalizations has now trended downwards for more than a week.

The number of patients in intensive care units continued to hold relatively steady at 116. ICU patient counts have fluctuated between 103 and 134 for the past month.

Also Thursday, the province’s COVID-19 death count grew by 18, up to 3,822.

The deaths were spread across several days and were of individuals ranging in age from in their 60s to more than 80 years old.

Eighty Albertans have now died due to COVID-19 over the past seven days.

There are now just over 16,500 known active cases in Alberta after 813 new cases were confirmed Thursday. 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 75.5 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 270,000 doses have been administered to children aged between five and 11 years old.

The next data update is scheduled for Friday 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.