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COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to fall

Virus-related illness claimed another 42 Albertans in past week
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COVID-19 graphic

The number of COVID patients and the testing positivity rate continue to fall.

However, 42 Albertans, including one in Central Zone, died from COVID-related complications in the week ending June 6. Since the pandemic began, 4,567 people have died, including 592 in Central Zone. In Red Deer, 111 people have now died.

Alberta Health has reclassified 33 deaths, including two in Red Deer, previously reported as being COVID-related. Red Deer has now had 111 deaths.

Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping and Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw normally provide an update on Wednesday but it has been rescheduled for Thursday.

Ontario and Quebec plan to lift most mask mandates soon.

Ontario will lift most remaining mask mandates on Saturday, including in hospitals and on public transit. Masking will remain mandatory in long-term care and retirement homes, the province’s chief medical officer of health said in a news release Wednesday.

The Toronto Transit Commission said on Wednesday it still strongly recommends masks be worn in its vehicles and stations, including the subway.

Quebec says it plans to lift its public transit mask mandates on June 18. Masks are still required in health-care settings, such as hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Alberta-wide, there are 816 people being treated for COVID in hospital, down from 931 between May 24-30. There are 24 people in intensive care, down five from a week earlier. In Central Zone, there are 105 people in hospital for COVID, including two in intensive care.

The seven-day positivity rate is also moving in the right direction. The 15 per cent rate is down from 17 per cent.

There were 1,840 cases identified through PCR testing in the last week. Since the pandemic began, 584,763 COVID cases have been identified.

In Red Deer, the number of new COVID cases over the previous seven days ending on Monday was 50 — down seven over the previous seven days. The seven-day case rate is down to 47 per 100,000 people, compared with 52.6 a week ago.

The total number of Red Deer cases since the pandemic began is now 15,189.

In Red Deer County, there were 13 new cases over seven days, down six from the seven days prior.

Sylvan Lake has had nine new cases, Lacombe two, Olds six, Wetaskiwin seven, Camrose 12 and Drumheller nine.

Lacombe County has had six, Clearwater County six, County of Stettler one, Mountain View County 14, Kneehill County none and Camrose County four.

On the local geographic area setting, Wetaskiwin County, including Maskwacis, has had 20 new cases, while Ponoka, including East Ponoka County, had one and Rimbey, including West Ponoka County and part of Lacombe County, had one.



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