COVID-19: Alberta’s hospitalizations and ICU cases rise, with Edmonton Zone home to half of them

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Kenney issued a “strong recommendation” for Albertans to stop inviting people into their homes on Friday.

Alberta reported 713 new COVID-19 infections Tuesday, bringing the total active case count to 8,090, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic.

The Edmonton Zone sits at 3,225 active cases, just below the Calgary Zone’s 3,414.

Alberta Health spokesman Tom McMillan announced seven new COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, including four in the Edmonton Zone. Three of the deaths from the capital region were related to long term care centres.

Also in Edmonton, an outbreak at the South Terrace Continuing Care Centre has been linked to 121 cases, 81 of which are active, and six deaths.

Two inmates at the Edmonton Institution for Women have also tested positive for COVID-19, Correctional Services Canada announced Monday. The first case was an individual who was recently committed and the second is a close contact. Both women and all close contacts are isolating.

Meanwhile, Edmonton Public Schools announced a single case at Mill Creek School, Northmount School, Elizabeth Finch School and S Bruce Smith School on Tuesday.

Edmonton Catholic announced two cases at St. Edmund School and a single case at Our Lady of the Prairies School, St. Francis Xavier School and Archbishop O’Leary School.

Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday in Alberta. McMillan said the province will provide updated data on COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

Canada surpassed 40,000 active cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, a new high, show the latest numbers from Health Canada. There have been 10,632 COVID-19 related deaths in the country. Globally, there have been 50,676,072 confirmed cases and 1,261,075 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports.

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— With files from the Canadian Press