Alberta COVID-19 hospitalizations climb to nearly 1,000

Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in Alberta have jumped over the past week, adding more than 100 patients to already stretched hospital resources.

For the week ending September 26, hospitalizations related to COVID-19 increased from 137 to 980 in total. The last time Alberta hospitals were this full of COVID-19 patients was May 27.

The number of COVID ICUs saw a 50% increase from the previous week, from 13 to 39 – matching figures from mid-May.

A total of 4,905 Albertans have had their deaths attributed to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, a number that has increased by 33 over the past week. The oldest age cohort tracked by the province – people over 80 – suffered the brunt of those deaths, with another 25 octogenarians added to the death toll in the week of September 20.

And the seven-day average positivity rate of PCR tests fell slightly, to 18.75%.

Throughout 2022, PCR testing has been limited to people who are at clinical risk of severe illness with COVID-19, or who live and/or work in high-risk settings.

Hospitals across the province are also experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19 in various units. An outbreak is declared when at least one case is acquired in a hospital.

In the Edmonton area, Gray Nuns Community Hospital, Leduc Community Hospital, Misericordia Community Hospital, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Sturgeon Community Hospital and University of Alberta Hospital have experienced outbreaks in at least one unit, no more later than September 26. Royal Alex had the most units with outbreaks at six.

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Four Calgary-area hospitals — South Health Campus, Foothills Medical Centre, Peter Lougheed Center and Rockyview General Hospitals — all had declared outbreaks as late as Wednesday.

Central Area Red Deer Regional Hospital, Rimbey Hospital, Three Hills Health Center and Vermillion Health Center have experienced outbreaks. And Chinook Regional Hospital in the South Zone and Medicine Hat Regional Hospital are also in outbreak status.

According to data submitted to the Public Health Agency of Canada, five more cases of monkeypox have been detected in Alberta, bringing the total to 39.