Alberta reports 672 new cases of COVID-19, 7 more deaths

More people are now in hospital being treated for COVID-19 in Alberta than ever before.

On Wednesday, the province reported there are 217 patients in hospital with a record-setting 46 of them in intensive care.

Alberta currently has 70 ICU beds dedicated to COVID-19 treatment.

The province has said that if halfof the ICU beds allocated for COVID-19 become occupied, further restrictions would be triggered.

The records come on a day when Alberta reported672 new cases of the disease, and attributed sevenmore deaths to COVID-19.

It is the third day in a row Alberta has reported seven new deaths in a single day.All but twoof thedeaths involve seniors 70 or over.

The sevendeathsWednesday include:

• A womanin her 70s from the North zone.
• A manin his 90s linked to the outbreak at Mayerthorpe Extendicare in the North zone.
• A manin his 70s linked to the outbreak at Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton.
• A woman in her 80s linked to the outbreak at Villa Marguerite in Edmonton.
• A womanin her 80sin theEdmonton zone.
• A woman in her 80s linked to the outbreak at Spruce Lodge in Calgary.
• A woman in her 60sin the South zone.

The number of deaths in the province attributed to COVID-19has reached383.

The province did not release the number of active cases in the province, or the breakdown of cases in zones.

But as of Tuesday thebreakdown of active cases in the province was:

• Calgary zone: 3,434 cases
• Edmonton zone: 3,255cases
• North zone: 542cases
• South zone:488cases
• Central zone: 317cases
• Unknown:54cases

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, will host her next COVID-19news conference Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

It will be livestreamed, as always, on CBC Edmonton.