Alberta reports 531 new COVID-19 cases as hospitalizations drop below 800

Alberta health officials reported 531 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, as hospitalizations dropped below 800.

There are currently 779 people in the province’s hospitals with COVID-19, a decrease of 31 individuals since Wednesday’s count of 810. Hospitalizations include 185 people currently in intensive care.

Of those in hospital, 71.12% are unvaccinated, while 5.01% are partially vaccinated and 23.88% are fully vaccinated.

As of October 27, a total of 6,513,132 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the province, with 86.8% of eligible Albertans having received at least one dose of vaccine and 79.6% now fully immunized with two doses.

Thursday’s numbers brought Alberta’s active infection count to 8,387. The province’s testing positivity rate was just over 5% on October 27.

Over the course of the pandemic, a total of 322,386 confirmed cases of the disease have been found, including 310,914 infections that have since recovered.

There were 12 additional deaths related to the virus reported over the past 24 hours, raising Alberta’s COVID-19 death toll to 3,085.

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During a Thursday afternoon press conference ahead of Halloween weekend, Dr. Deena Hinshaw shared tips on how Albertans can make the holiday as safe as possible this year.

“I know Halloween is a favourite time of year for many young — and young at heart — Albertans,” Dr. Hinshaw said. “As we head into the weekend and trick-or-treaters put the final touches on their costumes, I ask everyone to follow these basic measures to celebrate safely.”

If you’re planning on trick-or-treating or handing out candy on Halloween, protect yourself & others from #COVID19AB. Stay home if you’re feeling unwell, trick-or-treat with only your household & maintain distance when handing out treats. More tips at https://t.co/lvUIxraGSX

— Dr. Deena Hinshaw (@CMOH_Alberta) October 27, 2021

“If you are feeling even slightly unwell, you need to stay at home and you should not hand out candy,” Dr. Hinshaw said.

“If you are going trick-or-treating, only go with members of your household,” she continued. “Be sure to wear a non-medical mask and sanitize your hands often.”

The doctor also advised that those who are handing out candy should look for ways to limit contact with others, including setting treats out outside, spaced apart, or using tongs to hand them out while wearing a mask.

Those who plan to gather with anyone outside of their immediate household to celebrate the holiday are legally required to follow the private social gathering restrictions that are in place across the province.