Alberta reports 301 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday

0
212

Article content

Alberta reported 301 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday after 7,503 tests were completed for a positivity rate of four per cent.

The total number of COVID-19 variant cases identified in the province now stands at 430 after 27 more cases of the B.1.1.7 variant first found in the United Kingdom were reported. Of the total number of variants, 422 are the B.1.1.7 variant and eight are the B.1.351 variant first identified in South Africa.

Across the province, there are 4,584 active cases of COVID-19. In the Edmonton Zone, which includes the city of Edmonton and surrounding municipalities, there are 970 active cases. Of those, 791 are in the city of Edmonton for 76.2 per 100,000 people.

There are 250 people hospitalized with COVID-19, a decrease of 12 from Saturday, and of those, 46 are in intensive care units, a decrease of five.

Three more deaths were reported, bringing the provincial death toll to 1,886. The deaths were a woman in her 90s linked to the outbreak at Youville Home in St. Albert, a woman in her 70s in the Edmonton Zone not linked to an outbreak and a man in his 70s in the Calgary Zone also not linked to an outbreak.

Article content

Through end-of-day Saturday, Alberta has administered 227,678 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for 5,148.9 doses per 100,000 people. There was an increase of 8,982 doses from the previous day.

There are now 87,695 Albertans fully immunized with two doses.

On Monday, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health, is expected to provide information on whether the province would be moving to Step 2 of easing COVID-19 restrictions. The benchmark for Step 2 is less than 450 hospitalizations.

According to the province’s roadmap, there could be potential easing of restrictions for retail businesses, banquet and community halls, conference centres, hotels and further lifting of restrictions on indoor fitness and children’s sports and performance.

Hinshaw has previously said if a decision is made on Monday to lift some restrictions, it is possible they could be eased the same day.

ajunker@postmedia.com