Alberta surpasses 25,000 active COVID-19 cases, reports 2,042 new cases

Alberta topped 2,000 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, as the number of active cases in the province surpassed 25,000 for the first time during the pandemic.

There were 18,809 tests completed on Friday for a positivity rate of around 11 per cent.

Alberta identified 406 new variant cases, making up 47.6 per cent of the province's new high of 25,155 active cases.Alberta rolled back testing for coronavirus variants this week, citing a rapid increase in positivity rates and test volumes. Variant testing is now limited to hospital patients, health-care workers, recent travellers and people involved in outbreaks.

Currently there are 661 people being treated for COVID-19 in hospital including 148 in intensive care unit beds, compared to 659 people in hospital the previous day, including 150 in intensive care beds.

Two deaths were reported Saturday, including a man in his 60s in the North zone and a woman in her 80s in the Central zone.

Anti-restrictions protesters gathered outside a cafe in the hamlet of Mirror, Alta., for a Save Alberta Campout Protest, as the next slate of tougher COVID-19 restrictions are to come into force Monday, including the closure of patios and personal services, such as hair salons and tattoo shops.

Alberta Health Services has said the provincial government will take legal action to stop any planned protests of COVID-19 public health orders, including the one outside the cafe.

In Calgary, police arrested two organizers of a church service Saturday who have been defying public health restrictions for months and charged them with organizing an illegal in-person gathering.

Here are the province's 25,155 active cases broken down by health zone:

• Calgary zone: 11,178
• Edmonton zone: 5,900
• North zone: 3,780
• Central zone: 2,917
• South zone: 1,355
• Unknown: 25

Alberta reported 1,846,554 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered as of Saturday, an increase of 54,242 doses over the last 24 hours. The province administered a single day record of 57,716 doses on Thursday.

As of Monday, Albertans 12 and older will be eligible to book a vaccine appointment.