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Alberta hospitals remain under significant pressure, says health minister

Signs of COVID transmission slowing
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A total of 6,569 COVID cases were reported in Alberta over the latest seven-day period, and 565,052 were confirmed so far during the pandemic. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, NIAID-RML)

Alberta reported 62 COVID-related deaths between April 19 and 25, including 10 deaths in central Alberta.

Health Minister Jason Copping said hospitalizations have risen by about eight per cent over the last week, while the number of people in intensive care remained about the same.

Across the province, 1,220 people were in hospital with COVID, including 47 in intensive care. Previously, hospitalizations were at 1,126, with 43 in the ICU.

“While COVID admissions are not driving the same capacity challenges as previous waves, our hospitals remain under significant pressures. Several of our largest sites in Edmonton and Calgary are over 100 per cent occupancy and emergency departments and EMS are under real strain,” Copping said.

He said wastewater COVID signals remain high for many sites, but there has been a decline or plateau in Red Deer, Edmonton, Canmore, Banff and Grande Prairie.

“I’m pleased to report that we continue to see signs of slowing transmission in Alberta. Over the past week, our average positivity rate is 25.7 per cent. That’s lower than most of the past month and signals that we may be plateauing.”

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There have now been 4,252 deaths in Alberta connected with COVID. Those who died in the past week were between the age of 32 and 103.

A total of 6,569 COVID cases were reported in Alberta over the latest seven-day period, and 565,052 were confirmed so far during the pandemic.

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In Red Deer, the number of new cases over the previous seven days ending on Monday was 182 — down 35 over the previous seven days. The seven-day case rate is down to 171.1 per 100,000 people, from 200.4.

The total number of Red Deer cases since the pandemic began is now 14,666 and the death toll in the city is still 104.

In the Central Zone, there are 172 people — down eight from a week ago — in hospital infected with the virus, including three in the ICU. So, far 543 people have died — up nine from a week ago — from COVID-19 complications since the pandemic began.

In Red Deer County, there were 35 new cases over seven days, down 12 from the seven days prior.

Sylvan Lake has had 16 new cases, Lacombe 31, Olds 31, Wetaskiwin 21, Camrose 48 and Drumheller 8.

Lacombe County has had 18, Clearwater County 16, County of Stettler nine, Mountain View County 29, Kneehill County eight and Camrose County seven.

On the local geographic area setting, Wetaskiwin County, including Maskwacis, has had 43 new cases, while Ponoka, including East Ponoka County, had 13 and Rimbey, including West Ponoka County and part of Lacombe County, had 10.



szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com

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