COVID hospitalizations fall to 250 in Alberta

Since yesterday’s update, three Albertans died of COVID including two in the Edmonton Zone and one in the Calgary Zone. To date, 1,866 people in Alberta died from the virus.

Provincially, 250 patients are currently hospitalized including 46 who have been admitted to intensive care.

227,678 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta as of the end of February 27.

With another 7,503 tests conducted over the past day, there has now been a total of 3,412,356 tests completed on 1,820,481 different people.

Currently, the province is in Step 1 of the new “gradual stepped-approach” to lifting public health restrictions that is based on COVID-19 hospitalizations.

This past Monday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said, despite Alberta being under the threshold for moving to Step 2, they would not be making a decision on easing restrictions under at least Monday, March 1.

Hospitalizations have continued to decline since then, even falling below the threshold to move to Step 3.

Step 2: Potential easing in these areas:

Retail, banquet halls, community halls, conference centres, hotels, and a further easing of restrictions for indoor fitness and children’s sport and performance

Step 3: Potential easing in these areas:

Adult team sports, indoor social gatherings with restrictions, indoor seated events such as movie theatres and auditoria, libraries, museums, art galleries, zoos, interpretive centres, places of worship, casinos, racing centres, bingo halls

It is unclear at this time, assuming a decision on relaxing decisions is made, whether Alberta would move to Step 2 or Step 3.

Below is a graph of how COVID-19 cases in Alberta have trended since the start of the pandemic, which can also be accessed with more detail here.

COVID-19 trends in Alberta. (Alberta Health Services)

Below is a breakdown of cases per regional health zone:

Edmonton Zone – 53,737 cases, 970 active
- 66 in hospital, 15 in ICU
- 970 deaths (two new)
Calgary Zone – 51,098 cases, 1,551 active
- 96 in hospital, 12 in ICU
- 580 deaths (one new)
North Zone – 11,884 cases, 1,059 active
- 28 in hospital, two in ICU
- 135 deaths
Central Zone – 10,167 cases, 670 active
- 34 in hospital, 10 in ICU
- 111 deaths
South Zone – 6,509 cases, 319 active
- 26 in hospital, seven in ICU
- 90 deaths

Below is a breakdown of cases in the South Health Zone:

Brooks – 1,362 cases (one new), one active, 14 deaths
Lethbridge – 2,111 cases (17 new), 194 active, 20 deaths
- West Lethbridge – 714 cases (two new), 51 active, two deaths
- South Lethbridge – 719 cases (nine new), 60 active, 16 deaths
- North Lethbridge – 677 cases (six new), 83 active, two deaths
Cardston County – 615 cases (nine new), 67 active, 11 deaths
Medicine Hat – 554 cases (one new), 18 active, 17 deaths
Lethbridge County – 545 cases, 18 active, seven deaths
M.D. of Taber – 340 cases, seven active, six deaths
M.D. of Pincher Creek – 216 cases, eight active, four deaths
County of Warner – 162 cases, zero active, three deaths
County of Newell – 159 cases, zero active, two deaths
Cypress County – 145 cases, two active, zero deaths
County of Forty Mile – 117 cases, zero active, two deaths
Fort Macleod – 101 cases, four active, four deaths
Crowsnest Pass – 24 cases, zero active, zero deaths

by David Opinko

COVID hospitalizations fall to 250 in Alberta

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