COVID-19 in Alberta: Hospitalizations and ICU numbers decline; 46 new deaths

A man wearing a protective mask walks past a mural during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. Toronto and Peel region continue to be in lockdown. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Alberta now has 992 Albertans in hospital with the coronavirus, 32 of whom are receiving care in ICUs.

That is a decrease of 50 hospitalizations and six ICU admissions based off of last week’s update.

This week is the first time hospitalizations have been below 1,000 since Sept. 24.

Alberta Health data is routinely updated for accuracy and to account for reporting delays. Last week’s hospital numbers were retroactively increased from 1,042 to 1,094 as a result.

According to the province, 420 of the 1,094 people in hospital with COVID-19 last week were hospitalized for reasons directly related to the disease, while the other 674 people were admitted for other reasons, but incidentally tested positive. In the ICU, 46 per cent of patients were being treated because of the virus.

Alberta’s total number of COVID-19 related deaths went up by 46. Of the new deaths reported, 34 were retroactively added to past weeks, while 12 belong to this week.

The provincial death toll now sits at 5,308.

Alberta Health counted 1,045 new COVID-19 cases in 7,809 PCR tests. That is a decrease of 95 cases and 648 tests compared to last week's update.

The number of new cases is likely much higher because of testing limitations and because the province doesn't count positive results from rapid tests.

The average positivity rate is now at 13.61 per cent.

HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

On Dec. 12, 2021, there were 365 Albertans hospitalized with COVID-19. This year, there are more than double that amount, with 922 patients in hospital with the virus. In 2020, 704 people were hospitalized.

In 2021, there were 63 people in intensive care on Dec. 12, compared to this year's 32 and 135 in 2020.

In November 182 Albertans died from the virus compared to 133 in 2021 and 262 in 2020.

So far this year 1,990 people have died from COVID-19 compared to 2,104 last year, and 1,214 in 2020.

The next data update is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 21.