Alberta reports 770 new cases of COVID-19 and 8 new deaths
CBC
Alberta reported 770 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and eight new deaths.
There are 912 patients in hospital being treated for the disease, including 201 in ICU.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, told a news conference that 11,800 tests were completed in the previous 24 hours with a positivity rate of 6.5 per cent.
"We continue to see these numbers declining, but it's important to remember that this takes time and this trend could reverse quickly if we're not careful," Hinshaw said.
She said most Albertans requiring care in hospital, in the ICU, and those who are dying from COVID-19 are unvaccinated. She urged those who are unvaccinated to get their shots.
Alberta continues to lead the country in active cases by a wide margin and the province reached another grim milestone Wednesday as the province surpassed more than 3,000 deaths related to COVID-19.
There are currently 10,434 active cases of COVID-19 in Alberta. Here is a look at how active cases break down by region:
Hinshaw said more than 231,000 third-dose vaccine shots have been administered in the past few weeks.
"It's been wonderful to see such a strong uptake from those Albertans eligible for third [vaccine] doses over the last few weeks," she said.
People who are immunocompromised, Indigenous people aged 65 and up, and seniors at least 75 years old are eligible for third doses in Alberta.
Those with immunocompromising conditions must wait at least eight weeks from receiving their second vaccine dose before receiving their third.
That is because the third dose is still considered part of the "primary series" for those individuals, Hinshaw explained.
For other people, it is a booster shot "to strengthen and prolong the protection from the primary series of two doses," she said. They must wait six months from the second dose.
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