42 more COVID-19 deaths reported in Alberta, hospitalizations continue decline

Alberta Health officials reported 42 more COVID-19 deaths over the past week,while the number of hospital and intensive care patientscontinues todecline.

Alberta's COVID death count since the pandemic began is now 4,567. Although the province reported 42 new deaths, the COVID death count only increased by nine, meaning some previously reported deaths have been removed from the total.

Meanwhile, hospitalizations and ICU admissions dropped again in the latest reporting period, May 31 to June 6.

As of Monday, there are 816 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, including 24 in ICU.

There were 931 people in hospital with COVID, including 29ICU patients, last week.

The seven-day PCR test-positivity rate is 15.14 per cent,down from 16.91 per centa week ago.

Public health officials confirmed 1,840 new COVID-19 cases from May 31 to June 6. There were 2,348 cases confirmed in the previous reporting week.

The amount of virus circulating in the community is expected to be higher, however, as many Albertans are ineligible for a PCR test andthe data does not include positive rapid test results.

As of Monday, 77.2 per cent of all Albertans including those not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine have received two doses of vaccine; 81.4 per cent of the province's populationhave at least one dose.