Alberta reports 887 new COVID-19 infections as variant cases continue to rise

Alberta reported 887 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, raising the province’s active case count to 10,582.

Of the new COVID-19 cases, 432 variants of concern were identified in Alberta. There are now 4,145 active variant cases in the province, representing 39% of all active infections.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, took to Twitter to voice her concern about the rise in variant cases.

Over the weekend, a P.1 variant of concern outbreak was identified in the province. The P.1 variant is thought to have originated in Brazil.

According to Dr. Hinshaw, the outbreak appears linked to a large employer with multiple sites across Western Canada. The outbreak started with a traveller returning to Alberta from out of province. To date, the spread has been confined to three work sites in the province’s Central and North Zones, where employees travelled between sites.

Dr. Hinshaw also noted that a separate, unrelated P.1 outbreak has been reported at a workplace in the Calgary area. There are currently 5 cases of COVID-19 linked to this outbreak, including one confirmed case of the P.1 variant.

I am concerned about the rising cases, including variants, in our province. Please keep making safe choices and limit in-person interactions whenever possible to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 provincewide. (10/10)

— Dr. Deena Hinshaw (@CMOH_Alberta) April 5, 2021

There are now 312 people in hospital due to the virus, 76 of whom are in the ICU.

Four new deaths relating to COVID-19 have been reported in April since April 1, which increases the province’s death toll to 1,998.

• See also:
  • Grim milestone: Canada surpasses one million COVID-19 cases
  • Health Canada recalls face masks with graphene due to potential health risks
  • Here’s how Alberta’s 149,207 COVID-19 cases break down by region

As of Monday morning, as part of Phase 2B of Alberta’s vaccine rollout, anyone born in 1963 or earlier with eligible health conditions can now book appointments for their COVID-19 vaccination with Alberta Health Services (AHS) online or by calling 811.

Those with qualifying health conditions born in 1963 or earlier can also continue to schedule their vaccines at participating pharmacies in Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer.

A list of eligible health conditions can be found on the AHS website. Albertans do not need to provide proof of their health condition to receive the vaccine.

In the coming weeks, as more vaccine supply is available, pharmacies in other communities across Alberta will begin to offer bookings, and rollout will expand to include additional birth years for Albertans with underlying health conditions.

As of April 4, 116,198 Albertans have been fully immunized with two doses of the vaccine, and a total of 707,482 doses have been administered in the province.