Alberta reports 170 new COVID-19 cases as hospitalizations continue to drop
Alberta reported another 170 cases of COVID-19 Friday as hospitalizations and ICU admissions continue to decline.
The province completed 6,682 tests to raise the positivity rate to 3.9 per cent.
There are 296 people in hospital with COVID-19 and 79 in ICU. Last Friday, there were 379 patients seeking treatment for COVID-19 in hospital including 108 in ICU.
Three more deaths from COVID-19 were reported Friday, raising the provincial total to 2,265 deaths.
More than 3.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta with 67.8 per cent of the population aged 12 and over receiving at least one dose. Currently 16.7 per cent of the population eligible for immunization are fully vaccinated.
The province entered Stage 2 of the reopening plan on Thursday.
- 'Welcome to Stage 2, Alberta': Province moves ahead in reopening plan, 2nd dose delivery ramped up
- Alberta moves to Stage 2 of reopening on June 10: What will change?
- 'We're thrilled': Stage 2 starts Thursday, restaurants and attractions prepare for busy weekend
The threshold to reach Stage 2 requires 60 per cent of Albertans aged 12 or older receiving their first vaccine dose and fewer that 500 hospitalizations.
Under the new restrictions, outdoor gatherings up to 20 people are permitted, gyms and fitness studios can open, and restaurants may resume indoor dining with a maximum of six people per table.
To move to the next stage of reopening, Alberta needs 70 per cent of the population over the age of 12 to receive one dose of vaccine.
In a media availability on Thursday, Health Minister Tyler Shandro said there are approximately 70,000 Albertans booked to receive first doses in the next week.
According to Premier Jason Kenney, the province would need over 100,000 vaccine appointments for first doses to allow Alberta to move to Stage 3 by the end of June or early July.
“Having that first dose target achieved would be the quickest way to be able to move forward into the kinds of activities that we’ve all missed,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health. “We are extremely close.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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.
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.
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.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
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.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
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.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.