A graph compiled by rdnewsNOW (more below) shows Red Deer's various waves of active COVID-19 cases, with a new record high set on Sept. 27, 2021.

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

MONDAY UPDATE

Red Deer hits record high for active COVID cases with 915

Sep 27, 2021 | 4:19 PM

Red Deer has 915 active cases of COVID-19, up 130 from Friday, and setting a new record for the city.

The previous high was 911 on May 8 at the peak of the third wave.

Recoveries are listed at 6,826, up 111, as Red Deer added 242 new COVID cases over the last three days for a total of 7,799.

Red Deer’s active case rate is currently 860 per 100,000 people, compared to 281.8 for City of Calgary and 311.7 for City of Edmonton.

Red Deer’s death toll stemming from COVID-19 is now 58, with one reported over the weekend.

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Active cases across Central Zone (three-day change)

Red Deer County: 389 (+41)

Sylvan Lake: 162 (+22)

Lacombe County: 253 (+42)

Lacombe: 178 (+39)

Ponoka County: 316 (+28)

Brazeau County: 262 (-8)

Clearwater County: 378 (+74)

Mountain View County: 175 (+18)

Olds: 93 (+4)

Kneehill County: 138 (+51)

County of Stettler: 168 (+15)

The entire Central Zone has 4,235 active cases as of Monday, up 519 from Friday. There are 184 hospitalizations, down five, and 23 people are receiving intensive care at Red Deer Regional Hospital, down two from Friday.

AHS tells rdnewsNOW Monday that patients continue to be diverted from Red Deer Regional.

“Over the weekend we had six critical care patients diverted and seven general internal medicine patients diverted as well,” AHS says in a statement.

“ICU numbers can fluctuate very quickly depending on the patients in care and what might come through the ED at any given time. We currently have staffing to care for 28 ICU patients.”

The zone has had 246 deaths linked to the virus, with seven reported over the weekend.

The zone’s seven-day testing positivity rate is currently 17.17 per cent, with rates over the weekend of 21.92 per cent, 13.91 per cent and 21.37 per cent.

Over the three days, 5,640 tests were conducted.

PROVINCIAL NUMBERS

Over the past three days, Alberta Health confirmed a combined 5,181 new cases, with 1,882 on Friday, 1,541 on Saturday, and 1,758 on Sunday.

Last Monday, the province announced 4,633 cases over the Sept. 17-19 weekend.

There are now 21,307 active cases, up 1,267 from Friday’s total of 20,040, and following consecutive days of declines. That’s also up from last Monday’s total of 20,614.

By age:

Under 1: 141
1-4: 906
5-9: 2069
10-19: 3370
20-29: 2858
30-39: 4087
40-49: 3190
50-59: 1927
60-69: 1427
70-79: 734
80+: 593

An average of 15,260 tests were conducted each day over the past three days. The seven-day positivity rate is currently 10.65 per cent.

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Provincially, 1,063 patients are currently hospitalized with COVID, up two over the weekend, including 265 who have been admitted to intensive care, up 22.

Of the 798 people hospitalized but not in ICU, 536 are completely unvaccinated, 63 have received one dose, and 199 have two doses.

Of the 265 in ICU, 233 are completely unvaccinated, eight have one dose, and 24 have two doses.

Since Friday’s update, there has sadly been 23 new deaths added to the provincial COVID-19 death toll, which stands at 2,645. That’s up from 2,545 a week ago, or an average of 14 per day for the last week.

VACCINATIONS

In Alberta, 6,013,277 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have now been administered as of the end of Sept. 26. That’s up 49,745 over the weekend, and 196,525 over the last week.

Of the 12+ population, 83.0 per cent has received at least one dose (70.6% total population), while 73.8 per cent of the 12+ population is now fully vaccinated (62.8% total population).

In Red Deer, 68,611 (74.8% eligible/64.5% total) people have received at least one dose, up 652 over the last three days, compared to an increase of 1,219 last weekend. Meanwhile, 60,698 residents (66.2%/57.0%) are fully vaccinated, up 458, compared to an increase of 586 last weekend.

In a statement, NDP health critic David Shepherd called today’s update heartbreaking.

“Today, our NDP Caucus called for an intensive, door-to-door vaccination program. In recent days, we have called for direct payments to current and retired nurses to increase staffing levels, and for an independent Chief Medical Officer of Health to be advised by an independent Science Table. We will continue to propose actions that could save Albertans’ lives,” says Shepherd.

“Yet, the UCP does not take these proposals forward. They continue to do nothing. A week into his term, Jason Copping is already hiding from Albertans, just as Tyler Shandro did. The entire UCP government is now so consumed by their own internal political drama, they are unable to respond to the human tragedy unfolding in Alberta hospitals. Albertans deserve better.”

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