COVID cases in St. Albert decreased from July 12 to July 18, the province reported July 20.
Data from the province showed the seven-day case rate per 100,000 people was down to 37.4 compared to 43.1 reported the week prior.
New COVID cases in the city dropped by four. Between July 12 to July 18, the province reported 26 new COVID cases compared to the 30 reported by the province last week.
There were no new COVID deaths in St. Albert as reported by the province on July 20. The total number of people who have died from COVID in St. Albert remained at 88.
There was an increase in COVID cases in Sturgeon County between July 12 to July 18. The province reported five new COVID cases in the county compared to the three COVID cases reported last week.
Data from the province showed the seven-day case rate per 100,000 people in Sturgeon County was 17.9. Last week, the seven-day case rate per 100,000 people was 10.7.
There were no new deaths reported in Sturgeon County. The number of residents who have died from the virus remained at 18.
The province is reporting a jump in new COVID cases in Morinville after three weeks of zero new cases of the virus in the town.
Data from the province, current from July 20, showed eight new cases of COVID in Morinville.
The seven-day-case rate per 100,000 people in the town was 70.1, the province reported.
The number of people who have died from COVID in Morinville remained at 16.
The province is reporting an increase in per-cent positivity. The seven-day average for per-cent positivity rate for COVID was 22.41, as reported by the province on July 20. Last week, the province reported 18.31 per cent positivity rate.
The number of Albertans hospitalized from COVID increased by seven since last week. The province reported 559 Alberta-wide hospitalizations between July 12 to July 18.
The number of people being treated in ICU also increased from the week prior. Between July 12 and July 18, the number of people in ICU was 23, compared to the 16 reported by the province last week.
The province reported 20 more people had died from COVID between July 12 to July 18. The total number of Albertans who have died from the virus since the beginning of the pandemic was reported on July 20 to be 4,652.
Province expands booster dose availability
Albertans aged 18 years and up can now book their second booster dose.
Starting July 20, second mRNA booster doses are available for those aged 18 and up, as long as it has been five months or more since they have received their first booster dose, the province announced in a July 19 press statement.
The province is recommending any Albertan who has been infected with COVID wait at least three months before they get a booster dose.
People who have received one dose of Janssen are also eligible for a booster dose, as long as two months have passed since their first dose. Appointments can be booked through 811 due to limited supply.
Province changes the way they report COVID information on their website
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health announced changes to the way the province reports COVID data on Wednesday.
On July 20, Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced four changes to the COVID statistics webpage.
Those changes include a graph that shows the numbers of people currently in hospital and ICU who are there because COVID has directly or indirectly caused their admission. The graph goes back to early January, Hinshaw said.
The province is also taking away a table on the dashboard that shows the percentages of primary, secondary, incidental, and unknown COVID infections, stated Hinshaw, as that information is already shown in graphical form.
The province will no longer be listing specific outbreak locations. The information will be shown by categories which include continuing care, long-term care facilities, acute care, and other.
“In addition, we're showing the number of outbreaks opened that changes over time,” she said. "This is also very helpful because it introduces a time component which we didn't previously have, that shows how different sites are being impacted over time as we have transmission in our communities."
The province will be removing the health-care capacity tab from their website.
“There are other ways of accessing this data and with more current detail that again, duplicating is not necessary,” Hinshaw explained.
The province will also be removing the vaccine-outcomes tab. Hinshaw said the province’s current method of reporting is an underestimate of vaccine effectiveness data.
“(The province will be) shifting to a summary of published data with a longer-term intent to put Alberta data specifically up again once we finish some of those additional pieces of analysis,” Hinshaw said.
