Alberta COVID-19 hospitalizations near record levels, 11 deaths on Wednesday

The number of deaths due to COVID-19 in Alberta grew by 10 on Wednesday while the number of infected patients in hospital remained near high levels, according to the province’s latest data update. 

There were 11 deaths reported of individuals ranging in age from in their 50s to more than 80 years old. One death was removed from the count after being determined to be not due to COVID-19. 

Seventy-three Albertans have died due to COVID-19 in the past seven days.

The number of patients with COVID-19 in hospital remained above 1,600 for the eighth time in the last nine days, according to Wednesday’s preliminary count, with 1,615 patients receiving care.

Hospitalization data is routinely revised for accuracy and to account for reporting delays. 

Tuesday’s initial count of 1,623 was revised up to 1,659, the second-highest of the pandemic. 

The 23 highest patient counts have all come in the last 23 days.

Wednesday’s patient count includes 135 patients in intensive care units, an increase of 14 over the last seven days and most since early November. 

There are now more than 26,000 known active cases in Alberta after 1,684 new cases were confirmed Wednesday. Limits to testing capacity and eligibility mean the actual number of cases is many times higher.

Unvaccinated Albertans are outnumbered nearly four-to-one by those who have had at least a first shot of vaccine, but remain many times more likely to experience a severe outcome due to COVID-19 including hospitalization or death. 

Alberta has now administered more than eight million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, with 80.6 per cent of the population having had at least one dose and 75.0 per cent having had two shots. 

More than a third of Albertans, 34 per cent, have now also received a third dose. And, more than 251,000 doses have been administered to children aged between five and 11 years old.

The next data update is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.