Alberta adds 1,521 COVID-19 cases on Friday

Injunctions no barrier to Calgary protests Protester, as well as police officers, were again mobilized in downtown Calgary for another freedom rally. Mark Villani reports.

EDMONTON — Alberta on Friday reported 1,521 cases of COVID-19 and a positivity rate of 9.9 per cent.

Nearly 46 per cent of Alberta's 13,059 cases involve variants of concern, including the 674 infections — all B.1.1.7 — added Friday.

On Thursday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw told Albertans to assume they're infected with the variant first detected in the U.K. if they test positive for COVID-19.

Alberta has 333 patients in hospital with COVID-19, including 83 in ICU.

The province also reported two more deaths linked to coronavirus.

As of Thursday, Alberta had administered 779, 817 COVID-19 vaccine doses.

Dr. Hinshaw will give another update next Tuesday.