Alberta hits new pandemic peak for active COVID-19 cases

The number of active cases of COVID-19 in Alberta has reached 3,138, the highest ever reported in the province.

The previous record of 3,022 was reported on April 30 at the peak of the first wave.

The province reported 898 new cases over the weekend, which includes counts from Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Four more people died over that period, including a man in his 20s from the Central zone, bringing the total number of deaths in the province to 292.

The others who died were a man in his 80s from the South zone, a man in his 70s from the Calgary zone and a man in his 80s from the Calgary zone who was a patient at the Foothills Medical Centre, the 12th death linked to an outbreak at that facility.

Currently 117 people are in hospital with the disease, 18 of them in intensive care.

Here is the regional breakdown of active cases:

• Edmonton zone: 1,604 cases, up from 1,525 cases reported Friday.
• Calgary zone:  998 cases, up from 820 cases Friday. 
• North zone:  180 cases, up from 145 cases. 
• South zone: 191 cases, down from 202 cases.
• Central zone: 148 cases, up from 132 cases.
• Unknown: 17 cases, up from 12 cases.

Ninety-seven schools currently have outbreaks, including 26 with five or more cases. 

The province tested more than 42,000 people on the weekend. On Friday, 16,021 tests were completed, with 12,556 on Saturday and 13,578 on Sunday.

Later this week those living in the Edmonton zone may begin to see the impact, if any, of the voluntary measures Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, asked them on Oct. 8 to adopt.

The measures ask those in the capital region to reduce their family and social gatherings to a maximum of 15 people, limit the number of their social groups, or cohorts, to three — household, school and one other sport or social group — and wear masks in the workplace.

Hinshaw is scheduled to hold her next news conference on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. MT.