COVID-19: Alberta reports 38 more deaths as active cases continue to slide

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Alberta reported 38 more deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday — matching the province’s record for fatalities reported in one day — as active cases of the virus continue to fall.

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Chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw tweeted Wednesday that the deaths occurred over the past six days and were reported to Alberta Health in the past 24 hours. The province hasn’t reported 38 deaths since Jan. 12. Published data shows the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in one day happened on Jan. 2, when there were 30.

The newly reported deaths include 10 in the Edmonton Zone, including a man in his 30s with no known pre-existing conditions.

As of Wednesday’s update, there were 652 new cases and 14,218 active cases in the province, including 3,281 active cases in the Edmonton Zone. Those numbers have continued to drop since reaching a peak Sept. 26, 10 days after a series of new health restrictions and the vaccine passport program were announced.

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Hospitalizations also decreased, with 1,027 COVID-19 patients in hospital, including 236 in intensive care — down from 1,053 total hospitalizations and 242 Albertans in the ICU as of Tuesday’s update.

The province now counts 2,901 deaths due to COVID-19.

The test positivity rate dipped to 7.6 per cent from 8.3 per cent as of Monday — continuing a decline that began in early October. The seven-day average sits at 8.36 per cent. Hinshaw noted on Twitter that of those patients in the ICU, 91 per cent are unvaccinated.

Across Alberta, 85.5 per cent of the eligible population has received at least one dose, or 72.7 per cent of the total population, and 76.2 per cent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated with two doses — or 64.9 per cent of the province’s total population.

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Meanwhile, Alberta Health Services reported that as of Wednesday afternoon, provincial ICU capacity, including additional surge beds, is currently at 75 per cent. Without the additional surge spaces, it would be at 164 per cent.

Spokesman Kerry Williamson said in an email while the number of patients in ICU fluctuates constantly, the number of patients in ICU has decreased by 27 per cent over the past seven days.

In the Edmonton Zone, there are 159 ICU beds, including 87 additional spaces, with the zone operating at 77 per cent of current capacity.

Also on Wednesday, AHS confirmed  that it has decided not to use pediatric triage should the province ever reach the point of having to activate its critical care triage protocol and decide who qualifies for care in the event that patients outnumber available ICU beds.

lijohnson@postmedia.com

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