Alberta reports 34 COVID-19 deaths, highest number since January

Alberta reported 34 deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday among the highest ever announced in a single day in the province.

Most of the deaths did not occur in the past 24 hours because there can be a delay in reporting them.According to Alberta Health, the day with the most deaths from COVID-19 was Jan. 2, when there were 30.

The 34 deaths announced Wednesday ranged in age from people in their 40sto Albertans in their 90s. All health zones in the province reported new COVID-19deaths Wednesday.

The province recorded 1,682 new cases of COVID-19 on15,025 tests, with a positivity rate around 11.46 per cent.

There are currently 1,084 people in hospital with COVID, including 268 in ICU.Of the 268 in ICU, 90.6 per centare unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

Active cases declined Wednesday by 207 to 20,306 still by far the highest in the country. Here's how active cases break down across the province:

• Edmonton zone: 5,198
• Calgary zone: 4,884
• Central zone: 4,061
• North zone: 3,851
• South zone: 2,294
• Unknown: 18

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a 20-minute phone conversation Wednesday, according to a news release from the province.

The two discussed the current wave of COVID-19 cases and options for federal support, including health-care resources.

The news release notes that Kenney asked the federal government for doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, "indicating that Albertans in areas of low vaccine uptake have said they are waiting for [Johnson & Johnson] doses to be made available."

Trudeau affirmed Alberta's request for 20,000 doses and said the federal government would help. No doses of Johnson & Johnson have been administered in Canada.

Kenney also asked the prime minister about making rapid antigen tests available to employers across the economy, according to the release.

According the province's latest update,83.4per centof the province's eligible population has had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while74.2per centhave had both.

About63.1 per cent of the province's total population has had two doses of vaccine.