COVID-19. (Alberta Health Services)

By David Opinko

Pandemic slowing down in Alberta as new and active cases continue to fall

May 21, 2021 | 4:02 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Alberta Health Services has released its update on COVID-19 for Friday, covering statistics compiled over the past 24 hours.

732 cases were confirmed across the province, bringing the total to 223,011. Of those, 16,577 cases are active while 204,270 people have recovered.

266 cases, or about 36 per cent of today’s total, were variants.

Overall, the last week has shown great strides in many pandemic-related areas.

After seeing as many as 2,000 new daily cases a few weeks ago, the province has not had a single day this week in the four digits.

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Active infections have declined by 8,637 from the pandemic high of 25,214 on May 9.

In the South Zone, 47 people tested positive with 14 in Lethbridge and 11 in Medicine Hat.

Active cases fell by 10 in the city and regionally by 34.

Since yesterday’s update, two Albertans died from COVID with one each in the Calgary and Central Zones. To date, 2,164 Albertans have died as a result of the virus.

Provincially, 638 patients are currently hospitalized including 177 who have been admitted to intensive care. These more severe outcomes have somewhat stabilized over the past couple of weeks but have yet to significantly come down.

With another 10,130 tests conducted over the past day, there has now been a total of 4,460,823 tests completed on 2,126,017 different people.

2,401,932 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta as of the end of May 20. A map of vaccine distribution in the province can be viewed here.

Since yesterday’s report, 266 cases of COVID-19 variants were confirmed in Alberta with 27 of those coming from the South Zone.

COVID-19 variant cases in Alberta. (Alberta Health Services)

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 health zone:

• Calgary Zone – 90,599 cases, 7,532 active
  • 245 in hospital, 72 in ICU
  • 653 deaths (one new)
• Edmonton Zone – 75,637 cases, 3,966 active
  • 220 in hospital, 69 in ICU
  • 1,065 deaths
• North Zone – 25,118 cases, 2,507 active
  • 70 in hospital, 13 in ICU
  • 170 deaths
• Central Zone – 19,613 cases, 1,726 active
  • 62 in hospital, 12 in ICU
  • 151 deaths (one new)
• South Zone – 12,019 cases, 837 active
  • 41 in hospital, 11 in ICU
  • 125 deaths

Below is a breakdown of cases in the South Zone:

• Lethbridge – 4,717 cases (14 new), 251 active, 37 deaths
  • West Lethbridge – 1,713 cases (five new), 102 active, three deaths
  • North Lethbridge – 1,590 cases (four new), 80 active, 10 deaths
  • South Lethbridge – 1,413 cases (five new), 69 active, 24 deaths
• Brooks – 1,469 cases (three new), 41 active, 15 deaths
• Lethbridge County – 1,212 cases (five new), 116 active, 12 deaths
• Medicine Hat – 1,173 cases (11 new), 145 active, 19 deaths
• Cardston County – 1,002 cases (four new), 56 active, 17 deaths
• M.D. of Taber – 564 cases (one new), 32 active, six deaths
• County of Warner – 437 cases (three new), 46 active, three deaths
• M.D. of Pincher Creek – 302 cases (one new), 20 active, five deaths
• Fort Macleod – 310 cases (two new), 30 active, five deaths
• Cypress County – 273 cases (two new), 35 active, zero deaths
• County of Newell – 214 cases (two new), 28 active, two deaths
• County of Forty Mile – 155 cases, two active, three deaths
• Crowsnest Pass – 77 cases (one new), 13 active, one death
• Waterton – One case, zero active, zero deaths