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Kenney isn’t concerned about Delta variant’s spread: Red Deer down to 137 active cases of COVID-19

Red Deer at 137 active cases
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Premier Jason Kenney says Delta variant in Alberta is not spreading at an alarming rate. (Photo courtesy Government of Alberta)

Alberta dropped to 3,529 active cases of COVID-19 Friday.

That dip comes as the province reported 170 new cases of the virus, based on 6,682 tests, for a test positivity rate of 2.6 per cent.

The province also dropped under 300 hospitalizations, with 296 reported, including 79 in the ICU.

There were 204 new variant of concern cases reported over the past 24 hours and there are 2,585 active variant cases in the province.

That includes 262 cases of the B.1.617 Indian variant, now known as the Delta variant. Despite an outbreak of that variant in Calgary, Premier Jason Kenney said he isn’t concerned about its spread.

“We’ve had the Delta variant in Alberta since April 9 and as of yesterday, we were reporting just over 100 active cases,” Kenney said.

“It does not appear to be growing at an alarming rate. Secondly, it’s really as always a question of a race between vaccines and variants and we think we’re well ahead in the race with vaccines winning.

Kenney said Alberta won’t likely face a similar fate to the United Kingdom, which is having trouble containing the Delta variant. The U.K. is yet to vaccinate many of its young population, whereas Albertans between the ages of 12- 25 have at least 50 per cent first dose protection.

“We went faster and broader in our population rollout of the first dose of vaccines,” Kenney said.

“We don’t have an entire age category that is unprotected. We already have better protection right across the age spectrum and we have higher first dose cover than the United Kingdom does.”

“We have to keep an eye on this. I am confident as is Dr. (Deena) Hinshaw with the breadth of vaccine rollout that we are going to be able to prevent negative health outcomes from the Delta variant,” Kenney added.

Red Deer is down to 137 active cases of COVID-19, down 13 from Thursday’s 150. The city has 5,714 total cases, with 5,537 recovered and 40 deaths due to the virus.

The Central zone has 456 active cases of the virus, with 29 people in hospital and six in the ICU.

When looking at the province’s geospatial mapping for COVID-19 cases on the municipality setting, regions are defined by metropolitan areas, cities, urban service areas, rural areas and towns with approximately 10,000 or more people; smaller regions are incorporated into the corresponding rural area.

With that setting, Red Deer County has 24 active cases of the virus, Lacombe County has 16 active and Clearwater County sits at 46 active.

Lacombe has nine active and Sylvan Lake has 10, while Olds sits at six active. Mountain View County sits at five active, Kneehill County has five active and Drumheller has no active cases. Camrose County sits at three active cases and the County of Stettler has five.

Camrose is at three active cases and Wetaskiwin has 18 active.

On the local geographic area setting, Wetaskiwin County, including Maskwacis has 69 active. Ponoka, including East Ponoka County, has 14 active cases. Rimbey, including parts of Lacombe County has 14 active.



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Byron Hackett

About the Author: Byron Hackett

Byron has been the sports reporter at the advocate since December of 2016. He likes to spend his time in cold hockey arenas accompanied by luke warm, watered down coffee.
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