By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

DEC. 29 POST-CHRISTMAS Update

Six-day update: Alberta adds record 2,775 new cases Dec. 28, doubles active caseload

Dec 29, 2021 | 5:09 PM

PROVINCIAL NUMBERS

Across Alberta, another 10,918 new cases of COVID-19 were announced on Wednesday, as government officials shared data for the last six days.

That includes the following daily case totals:

Dec. 23: 2,010
Dec. 24: 2,484
Dec. 25: 1,568
Dec. 26: 686
Dec. 27: 1,395
Dec. 28: 2,775 *one day record for Alberta

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This brings the total number of active cases in the province now to 17,396, up 9,037 since the last report on Dec. 23.

With 50,233 tests conducted over the past six days, the province’s seven-day testing positivity rate is currently 20.55 per cent.

There are 8,404 active variant cases in the province, with 7,025 confirmed cases of Omicron to-date, up 4,388 since Dec. 23.

There are currently 349 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, up 31 from Dec. 23, with 57 of those patients in ICU, down seven.

Eleven new virus-related deaths have also been reported, bringing the virus’ death toll in our province to 3,310.

CENTRAL ZONE

Alberta Health is reporting 198 active cases of COVID-19 in Red Deer, up 96 since Dec. 23. That’s the highest number for the city since there were 193 on Nov. 15.

This brings the total number of coronavirus cases identified in the city since the start of the pandemic to 9,698, up 127. Recoveries increased by 31 over the past six days to 9,416.

Red Deer’s active case rate per 100k is currently 186.1, which compares to a rate of 563.9 in Calgary, 433.1 in Edmonton, and 195.7 in Lethbridge.

The virus’ death toll in Red Deer remains at 84, with the last one reported Dec. 7.

CENTRAL ZONE

There are 687 active cases of COVID-19 in the Alberta Health Services (AHS) Central Zone, up 227 from Friday.

The zone currently has 74 residents in hospital with COVID-19, up 11 from Friday, with six of those patients receiving intensive care at Red Deer Regional Hospital, down two from Friday.

There have now been 416 COVID-related deaths in the Central Zone, up two from Friday.

Active cases across Central Zone (Three-day change)

Red Deer County: 45 (+21)

Sylvan Lake: 24 (+17)

Lacombe County: 27 (+12)

Lacombe: 36 (+13)

Ponoka County: 30 (+13)

Brazeau County: 4 (-2)

Clearwater County: 16 (-17)

Mountain View County: 33 (+3)

Olds: 25 (+9)

Kneehill County: 17 (+7)

County of Stettler: 33 (-34)

VACCINATIONS

Alberta has delivered 7,594,578 vaccine doses as of Dec. 28, up 141,929 in the past six days.

A total of 887,392 booster (third) shots have been administered, up 126,239.

Of the 5+ population, 84.2 per cent has received at least one dose (79.1% total population), while 77.5 per cent is now fully vaccinated (72.8% total population).

*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; the Government of Alberta says 100,446 people in Red Deer are eligible for vaccination, with a population of 106,420.

In Red Deer, 76,925 (76.6% eligible/72.3% total population) people have received at least one dose, up 187 from Dec. 23.

Meanwhile, 72,068 (71.7% eligible/67.7% total population) residents are fully vaccinated, up 132.

NDP Health Critic David Shepherd issued the following statement in response to record COVID cases reported Tuesday:

“We are clearly in a fifth wave of the pandemic and it is likely to impact more Albertans than any previous wave. Yet, we have a government offering nothing in the form of solutions or measures needed to stop the spread.

“We are no longer even doing the basics of testing for COVID and tracing its spread to the level we have previously. This is an abject failure from a government again that would rather attack frontline healthcare professionals warning about the spread of Omicron than actually lead Albertans through to the other side of this wave.

“We need to know what additional public health measures are being recommended by public health officials and ignored by this government. We need a plan to restore full testing and contact tracing. We need to tell parents, teachers, and students what the plan is for the return of school in just a few days’ time.

“Instead, we have a government that refused to take questions or hold a public health update today and instead spent the majority of its time explaining through statements why the Premier, who was clearly symptomatic during yesterday’s briefing, believes the rules — his very own public health rules — don’t apply to elected individuals and staff within the UCP government.”