Alberta reports 603 new COVID-19 cases, 9 new deaths Friday

Alberta public health officials reported 603 new COVID-19 cases andand nine new deaths from the illness Friday.

Of the people who died, three werein their 60s, another three were in their 70s,two were in their 80s and one person was in their 90s. The deaths reported Friday push the total count of COVID-19 deaths in Alberta to3,093.

One previous death was identified as a duplicate, Alberta Health said, so the net increase in deaths is actually eight.

The new cases were detected through 10,505 COVID-19 tests. The test-positivity rate is 5.88 per cent, marking four straight days under six per cent, which hasn't happened since early August.

Test-positivity in the North zone, however, remains high at11.75 per cent as of Friday.

The number of active cases declined Friday. There are now 8,158 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

Here's how cases break down regionally:

• Calgary zone: 2,078
• Edmonton zone: 1,847
• North zone: 1,725
• Central zone: 1,635
• South zone: 868
• Unknown: 5

Hospitalizations continue to steadily decline. There are now 765 people in hospital with COVID-19down 14 from Thursday's update. Of those in hospital, 180 patients are in intensive care units.

COVID-19 vaccinationscontinue to climb, with another 13,911 vaccine dosesadministered Thursday.

As of Friday's update,79.8per cent of eligible Albertans have received two doses of vaccine; 86.9 per cent have at least one dose.

Nearly 68 per cent of Alberta's total population which factors in people who are ineligible for the vaccine have received two jabs.