Alberta reports 263 new COVID-19 cases as positivity rate creeps up

Alberta reported 263 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, and it’s seeing an uptick in its positivity rate after the Family Day long weekend.

Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw said Alberta’s positivity rate now sits at 5%. It’s been hovering around 3% to 4% for the last couple of weeks, and this is the first time it’s trended upwards in the new year.

Hinshaw said that it’s concerning but that it also might be an anomaly caused by fewer people seeking testing over the long weekend.

“Is it an isolated finding or a concerning trend?” she said, adding public health staff will continue to keep an eye on it.

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Another nine people died of COVID-19 in Alberta in the last 24 hours, bringing the province’s death toll to 1,791.

There are currently 365 people in hospital, including 56 in the ICU.

Alberta also discovered 50 new variant cases over the weekend, for an average of 12 new variant cases per day since Friday. Half of Alberta’s variant cases have come from community spread, Hinshaw said. The other half are tied back to travel.