Premier Jason Kenney during Tuesday's update. (Gov. of Alberta)

By Justin Goulet

Province reports estimated 8,250 new COVID cases over last five days

Dec 28, 2021 | 4:40 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – An estimated 8,250 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Alberta over the last five days. The province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, provided preliminary estimates for the Christmas break. The last provincial update was last Thursday, December 23.

Below is a breakdown of the preliminary estimates for Alberta in the last five days:

• December 23: 2,000 new cases (17% positivity rate)
• December 24: 2,500 new cases (21% positivity rate)
• December 25: 1,600 new cases (22% positivity rate)
• December 26: 750 new cases (17% positivity rate)
• December 27: 1,400 new cases (22% positivity rate)

As of Tuesday, approximately 323 Albertans are in hospital, including 50 in intensive care (ICU). In Tuesday’s update, Dr. Hinshaw said the province has identified about 15,000 active infections but noted that figure does not take into account people who have tested positive on rapid tests.

She noted that the Omicron variant of the virus “is different than anything we have ever faced before.”

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Premier Jason Kenney joined Dr. Hinshaw during the conference, and said the province is in a better position now than at any other previous wave of the pandemic due to vaccinations.

As of Friday, December 24, 89.1 per cent of those eligible aged 12 and up had gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

However, the Premier noted that the “situation we are in today is very challenging,” adding that early data indicates the severity of outcomes may be less for Omicron but the variant is still very transmissible. He’s urging all Albertans to limit their social contacts and get immunized.

He believes that if case numbers reach an “unmanageable high”, the health-care system is still at risk of being overwhelmed.

Tuesday’s conference can be viewed below.

Local case numbers were not provided as part of Tuesday’s update. A full provincial update is expected on Wednesday, December 29.