'Truly alarming': Alberta reports 2,433 new COVID-19 cases

Alberta topped 2,000 daily new COVID-19 cases for the third consecutive day Saturday, as the province's third wave reaches heights unseen during the pandemic. 

The province reported 2,433 new cases on Saturday, the single-highest daily case count since the start of the pandemic. For the first time, the province's test positivity rate topped 12 per cent.

"That's truly alarming," said Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious disease specialist at University of Alberta Hospital. 

"I think that's a very bad sign of the direction things are going right now." 

There were 646 people being treated for COVID-19 in hospital, including 152 patients in intensive care. The province reported one new death Saturday,  a man in his 70s in the Edmonton Zone.

The province identified another 1,743 new variant cases, which now account for just over 62 per cent of Alberta's active cases. 

Active cases climbed to 22,504. Here is how those cases breakdown by health zone: 

• Calgary zone: 9,423
• Edmonton zone: 6,065
• Central zone: 2,542
• South zone: 1,165
• North zone: 3,233
• Unknown: 76

Fort McMurray, hammered by COVID-19 outbreaks at a number of oilsands facilities, continues to lead the province with an active case rate just shy of 1,700 per 100,000 people, for a total of 1,350 active cases. 

No new regions were added to the province's hot spot list Saturday. 

The province announced additional restrictions Thursday for regions with at least 350 people per 100,000 and a minimum threshold of 250 active cases. Junior and senior high schools in those areas will transition to online learning and all indoor fitness and recreation activities are prohibited. 

Health-care workers administered 34,953 doses of the vaccine on Friday, with nearly 1.6 million doses administered in the province to date.