The Alberta government says the number of COVID-19 infections continues to increase in the province but cases with the latest variant of the virus may have reached a plateau.
Health Minister Jason Copping says hospitalizations were up three per cent in the past seven days to 1,126, but the number of individuals with COVID-19 in intensive care dropped to 43 from 46.
He says there are early indications that Omicron BA.2 subvariant infections may be at a plateau – with the average test positivity rate in the past week at 25.9 per cent compared to 26.6 a week ago.
Copping says the number of patients in hospital has been stable for the past two months at a level that is normal for this time of year, although some facilities are still near full capacity.
He says there are currently 167 patients in ICU compared to the pre-COVID average of 173.
Copping says the government will be launching a campaign to encourage Albertans to get their third vaccine doses since the province, at 46 per cent, currently has the lowest rate in Canada.
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