COVID-19 hospitalizations drop below 1,000 as Alberta reports 18 new deaths

For the first time since mid-January, there are fewer than 1,000 patientsin Alberta hospitals with COVID-19.

Alberta reported 986 people in hospital with COVID on Monday, including 73 in intensive care. That's a decline from Friday's update when 1,045 were in hospital and 73 in ICU.

The province also reported 18 new deaths related to the illness, bringing the province's pandemic total to 4,021.

The people who died ranged in age from their 60s to their 80s. Most of the deaths were recorded between March 4 and 13, though threeoccurred in February and one in January.

Alberta Health reported a combined1,351 new cases of COVID-19over the past three days:

• Friday: 509 new cases, 2,302 tests, 22.59 per cent positivity.
• Saturday: 395 new cases,2,409 tests,16.55 per cent positivity.
• Sunday: 447 new cases, 1977 tests ,22.76 per cent positivity.

The seven-day average for test-positivity is 20.02 per cent.

The province's known active cases increased over the weekend, from 6,545 to6,640.

The new case and active case numbers only include those who test positive on a PCR test, which most Albertans can't access.

The province said about 80.9 per cent of Albertans havereceived at least afirst dose of a COVID vaccine, and 76.1 per cent have received second doses. About 35.8per cent of Albertans have had a third dose of vaccine.