By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

sunday update

22 new deaths as Alberta surpasses 80,000 cases of COVID-19

Dec 13, 2020 | 3:56 PM

Twenty-two new COVID-19-related deaths are being reported in Alberta Sunday, making this the province’s single deadliest 24 hours since the pandemic began in early March.

The death toll is now 719, up from 697. The previous one-day high was 20, recorded on Nov. 16.

It was just back on Dec. 6 the province recorded its 600th fatality, the 500th came on Nov. 23, and the 400th on Nov. 11.

There are also 1,717 new cases and 1,205 more recoveries today. This means after two straight days of declines in active cases (from 20,163 to 20,161 to 20,072; Thu. to Sat.), that number has once again gone up.

Active cases provincially stand at 20,562, an increase of 490.

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Alberta also surpassed the 80,000 mark for total cases, now at 80,099. It is the third province to hit that mark, with Ontario (138,504) and Quebec (161,921) getting there some time ago. The next closest is B.C. with 40,797.

However, Alberta still has the highest rate of active cases, as well as the most total active cases, of any Canadian province or territory.

Today’s positivity rate was 7.9 per cent, the same as Saturday, with 21,725 tests being done in the last day. That total also puts Alberta past the 2.5 million mark in terms of tests completed, while almost 1.569 million individual Albertans have been tested.

Red Deer also flew by a milestone of its own on Sunday, adding 42 new cases to eclipse 1,000 and sit at 1,019 confirmed cases since March. Active cases rose in the city from 410 to 425 in the last day. A total of 594 people in Red Deer have recovered from the coronavirus.

On Friday, Red Deer surpassed 400 active cases.

In Central Zone, there have now been 4,518 total cases, up by 141. Active cases rose in the last day by 67 to 1,589, the third highest among the five health zones in Alberta. In hospital are 57 Albertans, down two, while five are in ICU, up one.

The death count for Central Zone rose by two to 26 since Saturday. The two most recent were one female and one male, both in their 80s.

Elsewhere in Central Zone

Red Deer County: 109 active (+3), 244 total (+8)

Sylvan Lake: 61 active (-1), 157 total (+2)

Lacombe County: 64 active (–), 166 total (+4)

Lacombe: 31 active (-3), 117 total (+1)

Ponoka County: 235 active (+34) 726 total (+36)

County of Stettler: 19 active (+2), 85 total (+3)

Rocky Mountain House: 69 active (+2), 120 total (+3)

Rimbey: 32 active (–), 65 total (+2)

Innisfail: 51 active (+2), 87 total (+4)

Drayton Valley: 68 active (-1), 179 total (+1)

New cases in schools reported this week

*’Outbreak declared’ means 2-4 cases in that school community over the last two weeks where disease could have been acquired or transmitted in the school.

*’Watch” means five or more cases where disease could have been acquired or transmitted in the school

Ecole Camille J. Lerouge in Red Deer (1 new cases) – reported Dec. 12

Central Middle School in Red Deer (1 new case) – reported Dec. 11, outbreak declared

C.P. Blakely in Sylvan Lake – outbreak declared on Dec. 11

H.W. Pickup in Drayton Valley (1 new cases) – reported Dec. 11

Bentley School – outbreak declared Dec. 9

Westpark Middle School in Red Deer – outbreak declared Dec. 9

Gateway Christian in Red Deer – outbreak declared 2-4 cases Dec. 8

Our Lady of the Rosary in Sylvan Lake (2 new cases) – reported Dec. 8 (not yet added to provincial map)

Normandeau School in Red Deer (nearly half of all staff and students isolating, school suspending in-person classes) – reported Dec. 7 – upgraded to watch status

Rimbey Jr. Sr. High School – outbreak declared Dec. 7

Holy Spirit Catholic School in Devon – outbreak declared Dec. 7

Tofield School (5 active cases) – upgraded to watch status Dec. 7

More information is at alberta.ca/covid19.