Alberta continues to break records with 1,879 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday

The second wave of the pandemic continues to hit hard as Alberta once again reports record-breaking daily numbers of COVID-19, with 1,879 new cases on Saturday.

The province has 18,806 active cases, with 563 people being treated in hospital for the illness, including 101 in ICU beds.

Six new deaths were reported from the disease, bringing the total to 596.

After announcing the previous new record for new cases — which was on Thursday — Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said she was very concerned about these numbers.

"Behaviour needs to change, and that's already a mandate. And what we need to do as we're watching these numbers is determine whether or not there should be further changes," she said on Thursday.

The deaths include a man in his 90s from the Edmonton zone linked to the Grey Nuns Community Hospital in-patient acute care, who died on Dec. 1.

A man and a woman in their 70s died from the disease on Dec. 2 in the Edmonton zone. A woman in her 80s in the Calgary Zone died on Dec. 4; her death is linked to the outbreak at Mount Royal, Revera. Another woman in her 60s died on the same day in the Edmonton zone. Her death is linked to the outbreak at Villa Marguerite. Another man in his 80s died from the disease in the South zone.

Here's the regional breakdown of active cases:

• Calgary zone: 6,951

• Edmonton zone: 8,777

• North zone: 1,035

• South zone: 610

• Central zone: 1,340

• Unknown: 93