Alberta COVID-19 deaths rise by 42, hospitalizations drop by 58, data shows

The number of deaths from the pandemic in Alberta rose by 42 in the last reporting week, while hospitalizations fell for a second straight week, according to provincial data.

The number of Albertans who have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic is now 4,832.

There were 799 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, including 20 in intensive care units, as of late Tuesday. Last week, 857 Albertans were hospitalized with the disease, including 20 in intensive care.

The province’s seven-day PCR test positivity rate also fell for the second week in a row, from 18.77% last week to 16.68% this week.

From August 30 to September 5, the last reporting week, public health officials confirmed 1,084 new cases of COVID-19 through PCR testing. This was 283 less than the previous week.

Data only reflects PCR testing, for which eligibility is limited. Positive rapid test results are also not counted.

By the end of Monday, 77.6% of the entire population of Alberta, including those who are ineligible, had received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine; 82% of all Albertans had received at least one dose.

Of all Albertans, 39.3 per cent had received three doses of the vaccine, up 0.2 percentage points from last week.

3 other cases of monkeypox

Three more people have contracted monkeypox in Alberta since August 26, according to data from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

On Wednesday, Alberta public health officials confirmed 34 total cases of monkeypox in the current outbreak, according to the data.

There have been 1,317 total confirmed cases in Canada, the vast majority of which have been identified in Ontario and Quebec.