EDMONTON – Alberta more than doubled its number of active COVID-19 cases in a week, and recorded its highest single-day increase in new infections.
A record 2,775 new cases were reported Wednesday, bringing Alberta’s total active cases to nearly 17,400 from 8,359 last Thursday.
Before this month, the long-term single-day record was around 2,300 cases on April 30. But last Thursday exceeded that number with more than 150 cases, only to be surpassed again on Wednesday. Private.
The highly contagious variant of Omicron is increasing infections across Canada, with other provinces also setting records.
“The positivity rates we’re seeing are higher than before, indicating Omicron’s transmission. This is why anyone feeling sick should stay home and stay away from others until they’re sick. feel better,” Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Deena Hinshaw, said in a social media post.
Hinshaw said it’s important that Albertans adhere to public health measures, stay home when sick, and get vaccinated against COVID-19 with all three shots to slow Omicron’s growth.
Alberta Health data showed Wednesday’s cases came from about 9,400 tests, representing a positivity rate of 30%.
That rate is unprecedentedly high.
The sensitization rate in Alberta rarely crossed 13% before recent weeks. The current seven-day average is 20.55%.
The spread of COVID-19, exacerbated by the Omicron variant, has forced individuals and organizations to weigh the risks of gatherings.
For example, the world junior hockey championships in Edmonton and Red Deer, have been canceled to ensure the health and safety of participants. The tournament opened on Sunday, but players who tested positive for COVID-19 sent the defending champions the United States, as well as Russia and Czechia, into mandatory quarantine on Wednesday.
The Government of Alberta also confirmed the number of COVID-19 cases identified between December 23 and 27 on Wednesday, after initially releasing preliminary numbers.
About 3,150 cases of infection have been recorded, with a peak of 2,484 last Thursday and a low of 686 on Sunday. The number of tests taken on Sunday has plummeted compared to before Christmas Day.
There are 349 Albertans hospitalized with COVID-19 and 57 of those patients are in intensive care. While that was an increase from the 318 people reported in hospital when the government last updated that number on December 23, there were seven more people in intensive care at the time.
Critics from the opposition NDP Party have called on the United Conservative government to implement additional public health measures to limit the spike in infections.
Health critic David Shepherd said in a press release: “We don’t have the government offering anything in the form of solutions or measures needed to contain the spread.”
“We need a plan to roll back all testing and contact tracing. We need to keep parents, teachers and students informed of our plans to return to school in just a few days.”
This Canadian Press report was first published on December 29, 2021.
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