Active COVID-19 case curve in Alberta could be hitting a second peak

Active COVID-19 cases in Alberta have stopped their steady rise over the past week.

According to numbers from the Province of Alberta, there has been a sharp increase in active cases of the infectious virus ever since the start of October, which eventually found the active case count cresting 20,000 as of December 6.

• See also:
  • Here’s how Alberta’s 84,597 coronavirus cases break down by region
  • These are the top 10 Canadian weather stories of 2020
  • Canada still waiting for Pfizer’s January COVID-19 vaccine delivery schedule

The ten days that followed saw the total number rise and fall, reaching above the 21,000 mark just once on December 13, with 21,144 active cases.

The two days to follow that high both saw decreases at 20,680 on December 14 and, most recently, 20,169 on December 15.

The levelling off, and potential decrease, could mean that Alberta has seen the top of its second peak in the much steeper curve we’ve recently been climbing, although that will only be known for sure over the coming weeks.

Active COVID-19 cases in Alberta (Province of Alberta)

The past week also marks three weeks since the initial social gathering restrictions were put in place on November 24, which included a ban on at-home social gatherings, and one week after those restrictions were strengthened on December 8.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw has previously stated that it takes roughly one to two weeks before the impacts of new restrictions can be seen in the province’s daily COVID-19 numbers.

New daily cases of the virus have also been slightly decreasing, with under 1,400 new cases being detected over the past two days.

Unfortunately, it is not just recovered cases that contribute to a decrease in active cases, but also the deaths of people infected with the virus. So far there have been a total of 760 reported deaths with COVID-19 in the province.