Alberta reports 1,718 new COVID-19 cases, death toll tops 2,500

Alberta health officials reported 1,718 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday as the death toll in the province surpassed 2,500.

There are now 896 people in Alberta hospitals with the virus, an increase of 19 from Thursday. That includes 222 Albertans who are in intensive care.

The active case count in the province increased by 285 from Thursday, rising to 18,706 cases.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 275,538 COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in the province, with 254,327 cases since recovered.

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Over the past 24 hours, 10 new deaths caused by the virus were reported, bringing Alberta’s death toll to 2,505.

As of September 15, there have been 5,685,024 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered in the province. Of those vaccinated, 79.6% have had at least one dose of the vaccine, and 71.5% of Alberta’s eligible population is now fully immunized against the virus.

On Wednesday, the province announced its plans to implement a proof of vaccination program and new restrictions due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.