Alberta records 1,183 new cases of COVID-19, 942 new variant cases

More than half of Alberta's active COVID-19 cases now involve variants of concern, as the province reported 942 new variant cases on Sunday.

The province reported 1,183 new cases of COVID-19 and one additional death. The new variant cases brought the total number of active variant cases to 7,217, about 50.5 per cent of active cases in Alberta.

Currently, there are 376 people in hospital with the illness, including 90 in intensive care unit beds.

The death reported Sunday in the Edmonton zonebringsthe total number of COVID-19 deaths in Alberta to 2,013 since the start of the pandemic.

Provincial labs completed 14,861 tests for COVID-19 on Saturday, for a positivity rate around 7.9 per cent.

There are now 14,293 active cases across the province, an increase of about 600 active cases from Saturday.

As of Sunday, the regional breakdown of active cases is:

• Calgary zone: 6,600
• Edmonton zone: 3,524
• North zone: 1,885
• Central zone: 1,222
• South zone: 942
• Unknown: 120

The latest vaccine distribution numbers are expected to be released Sunday evening.As of Saturday, 847,630 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across the province.

On Sunday, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, reminded Albertans to stay home and arrange for testing if they have any symptom of COVID-19.

"If you have a cough, fever, runny nose, shortness of breath, sore throat or any other symptom of COVID-19, please stay home and complete the AHS self-assessment to arrange for testing," Hinshaw said on Twitter.