COVID-19 in Alberta: 349 new cases, 1 death on Friday as hospitalizations hit 3-month low
Alberta reported 349 new cases of COVID-19 and one more death on Friday, as hospitalizations due to the coronavirus hit a three-month low.
Friday was the third straight day the number of new cases has declined after being in the 200s the three days before.
- Infographics: COVID-19 in Alberta by the numbers
- COVID-19 in your community: Edmonton’s coronavirus status in numbers
The death was of a person in their 70s living in the North health zone.
There are now 395 COVID-19 patients in Alberta hospitals, including 78 in intensive care units. The last time Alberta had fewer than 400 coronavirus patients in hospital was on Aug. 28.
Also on Friday, Alberta reported one more case of the Omicron variant, bringing the province's total number of cases of the new variant up to four.
Vaccination data was unavailable on Friday due to a technical issue, but unvaccinated Albertans remain several times more likely to suffer a severe outcome after contracting COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.
Alberta’s next data update is scheduled for Monday afternoon and will include data from Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
OTHER COVID-19 RELATED NEWS
An Alberta mayor believes Canada Post's vaccine policy is the impetus behind local staff shortages. The post office in Lamont was closed earlier in the week, and later reopened thanks to outside workers.
Alberta Health Services says more health-care workers are accessing the mental health supports it offers amid abuse and poor treatment on the front line.
Documents obtained by the Alberta NDP show Education Minister Adriana LaGrange was left as the acting health minister when COVID-19 cases skyrocketed in August while the premier and then-health minister Tyler Shandro vacationed. Government press secretaries said both Shandro and Premier Jason Kenney were working during their holidays.
The City of Calgary will provide free rapid tests to its unvaccinated employees, its hand forced by the police department which made the same decision first.
Booster COVID-19 vaccine appointments opened to Albertans aged 60 and older on Thursday.
As COVID-19 testing rules for travellers change, confusion has grown at airports needing to carry them out, including Edmonton International Airport.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.