Alberta reports 4 new COVID deaths as number of ICU patients declines slightly

Alberta reported 966 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Friday, including 62 in intensive care.

The number of people in hospital declined by one and the ICU number dropped by fivefrom Thursday's update.

The province also reported four new COVID-related deaths, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to4,023.

Alberta labs completed2,925 PCR tests on Thursday and detected 502 new cases of COVID-19. The positivity rate was around 20.14 per cent while the seven-day average is now 21 per cent.

The province has limited access to PCR testing, which affects the new case and active case numbers.

As of Friday's update there are6,583 known active cases across the province, an increase of 31 from the previous update.

The province said about81per cent of Albertanshadreceived at least their first dose of a COVID vaccine, and 76.3per cent had received their second dose, as of Friday's update. About 36 per cent of Albertans have had a third dose of vaccine.

The province is not expected to provide updated COVID-19 data until Wednesday, as the government moves to a once-a-week reporting schedule.