Alberta reports 1,486 new cases of COVID-19, 3 deaths

Alberta reported 1,486 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday and three more deaths from the illness.

The number of active cases increased by 548 across the province, according to the latest update from Alberta Health, bringing the total to 17,307.

Cases of COVID-19 virus variants increased by 977 to 9,417 the latest numbers show. Variants now make up 54.4 per cent of active cases in Alberta.

Provincial labs completed 16,353 tests for COVID-19 on Friday, with a positivity rate around 9.2 per cent.

Hospitalizations increased by 18 to 445 on Saturday, including 94 people who are being treated for COVID-19 in intensive care units.

Of the three reported deaths, two — a woman in her 80s and a woman in her 70s — were in the Calgary zone, and one man in his 90s died in the Edmonton zone.

Since the outset of the pandemic, 2,037 people have died from COVID-19 in Alberta.

Here is the breakdown of active cases by health zone:

• Calgary zone: 7,453

• Edmonton zone: 4,388

• Central zone: 1,629

• South zone: 928

• North zone: 2,285

• Unknown: 76

As of Saturday, 1,121,901 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered.