Alberta's daily COVID-19 case count holds steady with 652 new infections

Alberta reported 653 new COVID-19 infections Tuesday, a number not far off from counts in recent days.

The province’s daily case counts appear to be stabilizing, although Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw would like to see them trend even lower.

“I want to thank Albertans for being patient as we’re rolling out vaccine,” she said. “In the meantime we must all continue to make safe choices and follow public measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

Another 38 people in Alberta died of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the province’s death toll to 1,345.

“These figures are not just numbers but lives,” she said. “Every death involves someone who loved and was loved by many.”

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She also added that fewer cases and additions to Alberta’s contact tracing team means high-priority COVID-19 cases are being contacted within 24 hours. High-priority cases include school-age children, healthcare workers, and long-term care workers.

Hinshaw said the province is working toward a goal of contacting all new COVID-19 patients within 24 hours, but she didn’t have a timeline of when that would be reached.