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COVID-19. (Dreamstime)

Active COVID cases in Alberta falling but deaths remain high

Dec 18, 2020 | 4:54 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Alberta Health Services has released Friday’s report on COVID-19, detailing the numbers that were confirmed in the past 24 hours.

1,413 cases were confirmed across the province, bringing the total to 87,581. Of those, 19,607 cases are active while 67,159 people have recovered.

Approximately 85 per cent of the new infections were in the Edmonton and Calgary Zones who saw 650 and 546 positive tests respectively.

Meanwhile, in the South Zone, 29 people contracted the virus with six each in Lethbridge, Cardston County, and Brooks.

Active cases have improved in recent days. Since the report one week ago, active infections provincially have fallen by 554.

There are now 511 active cases in the South Zone and 182 in Lethbridge. That marks a reduction of 101 and 50 respectively from the same time last week.

The unfortunate part of today’s update is that another 25 Albertans have died from COVID-19 with 11 in the Calgary Zone, nine in the Edmonton Zone, two each in the Central and North Zones, and one in the South Zone. To date, the virus has claimed the lives of 815 Albertans.

The person in the South Zone was from Medicine Hat.

Provincially, 759 patients are currently hospitalized and 141 have been admitted to intensive care.

With another 19,538 tests completed in the past 24 hours, there has now been a total of 2,601,802 tests completed among 1,600,211 different people.

The regional breakdown for COVID-19 in Alberta is as follows:

  • Edmonton zone – 37,575 cases, 9,376 active
    • 405 deaths (nine new)
    • 415 in hospital, 83 in ICU
  • Calgary zone – 34,218 cases, 6,971 active
    • 267 deaths (11 new)
    • 221 in hospital, 42 in ICU
  • North zone – 5,800 cases, 1,201 active
    • 59 deaths (two new)
    • 33 in hospital, seven in ICU
  • Central zone – 5,072 cases, 1,473 active
    • 30 deaths (two new)
    • 75 in hospital, five in ICU
  • South zone – 4,703 cases, 511 active
    • 53 deaths (one new)
    • 16 in hospital, four in ICU

The breakdown for the South Health Zone by community is as follows:

  • Brooks – 1,330 cases (six new), 39 active, 14 deaths
  • Lethbridge – 1,311 cases (six new), 182 active, seven deaths
    • West Lethbridge – 489 cases, 52 active, two deaths
    • North Lethbridge – 411 cases (three new), 79 active, two deaths
    • South Lethbridge – 411 cases (three new), 51 active, three deaths
  • Lethbridge County – 402 cases (four new), 44 active, three deaths
  • Medicine Hat – 397 cases (one new), 78 active, six deaths (one new)
  • M.D. of Taber – 296 cases (one new), 21 active, six deaths
  • Cardston County – 241 cases (six new), 55 active, six deaths
  • County of Warner – 142 cases, six active, two deaths
  • County of Newell – 136 cases (one new), 17 active, two deaths
  • Cypress County – 135 cases, 11 active, zero deaths
  • County of Forty Mile – 113 cases, one active, two deaths
  • M.D. of Pincher Creek – 89 cases (two new), 37 active, two deaths
  • Fort Macleod – 67 cases (three new), 16 active, three deaths
  • Crowsnest Pass – Ten cases, three active, zero deaths