By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

WEDNESDAY UPDATE

Alberta adds six cases of Omicron variant, including Central Zone’s first

Dec 8, 2021 | 4:36 PM

Alberta is reporting 388 new cases of COVID-19 today.

Combined with recoveries, that means there are now 4,140 active cases, up 35.

There have now been 17 cases of the Omicron variant identified in Alberta, up six in the last day.

The province did 10,700 tests in the last day, with a seven-day positivity rate of 3.85 per cent.

There have been 3,272 COVID-linked deaths since the pandemic began, including four in the last day.

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SCHOOL STATUS DATA

Hospitalizations

There are 373 people in hospital, the same as yesterday, while ICU admissions are down eight to 68.

Of the 305 not in ICU, 180 are unvaccinated, 16 have had one dose, and 90 have had two doses. An additional 19 have had a booster dose.

Of the 68 in ICU, 50 are unvaccinated, one has had one dose, and 17 have had two doses. An additional zero have had a booster dose.

CENTRAL ZONE

Red Deer now has 81 active cases of COVID-19, the same as on Tuesday.

Meantime, recoveries in Red Deer rose three to 9,291 as the total number of COVID-19 cases attributed to Red Deer rose four to 9,457.

Red Deer’s death toll stemming from COVID-19 is 85, with one reported today.

The Central Zone as a whole has 497 active cases as of Wednesday, up 16 in the last day. That’s compared to 1,671 in Calgary Zone and 1,202 in Edmonton Zone. South Zone has 263 and North Zone has 502.

In today’s new cases is the zone’s first case of the Omicron variant.

There are 68 hospitalizations in our zone, up two, and seven people are receiving intensive care at Red Deer Regional Hospital, up one.

Central Zone has recorded 406 deaths, including two in the last day.

Active cases across Central Zone (one-day change)

Red Deer County: 41 (-1)

Sylvan Lake: 6 (–)

Lacombe County: 17 (-2)

Lacombe: 22 (-2)

Ponoka County: 34 (+2)

Brazeau County: 28 (+3)

Clearwater County: 20 (+1)

Mountain View County: 38 (–)

Olds: 16 (–)

Kneehill County: 8 (-2)

County of Stettler: 52 (+11)

For more data from central Alberta communities, click here.

VACCINATIONS

Alberta has delivered 7,052,158 vaccine doses as of Dec. 7, up 23,177 in the last day.

Of the 5+ population, 82.4 per cent has received at least one dose (77.4% total population), while 76.6 per cent is now fully vaccinated (71.9% total population).

A total of 454,151 booster (third) shots have been administered.

ADDITIONAL PROVINCIAL VACCINATION DATA

*Local numbers below now reflect percentages based on the number of people in Red Deer who are 5+, which recently changed from 12+, therefore numbers may be lower than they had been; Government of Alberta uses a population of 106,420 for Red Deer; of those, 100,446 are eligible

In Red Deer, 75,698 (75.4% eligible/71.1% total population) people have received at least one dose, up 90.

Meanwhile, 71,200 (70.9% eligible/66.9% total population) residents are fully vaccinated, up 60.