‘Our collective efforts are making a difference’: Alberta identifies 387 new COVID-19 cases, R-Value at 0.67
Posted May 25, 2021 4:07 pm.
Last Updated May 25, 2021 4:24 pm.
EDMONTON — Alberta identified 387 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday following nearly 4,000 tests.
“We have seen a steady decline in new cases across the province which is helping bring our active case count down as well,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw. “In fact, active cases have declined 52 per cent from their peak earlier this month.”
Currently, there are 12,076 active cases in Alberta, a decline of more than 1,500 cases from the day prior.
WATCH: Dr. Deena Hinshaw provides the latest update on COVID-19 in Alberta.
“Collectively we have the power to bend the curve down and get us past this third wave,” she said. “With cases declining and more vaccines being administered every day, we are rapidly approaching a point when we can safely begin to ease measures — it’s close, and getting closer every day.”
The province’s reproduction number, or R-Value, has also dropped over the past several weeks, now sitting at 0.67, with an R-Value of 0.62 in the Calgary Zone, and 0.71 in the Edmonton Zone.
Hospitalizations saw a slight decline, with 565 people in hospital, and 158 in the ICU.
An additional nine deaths were reported on Tuesday.
Hinshaw says now is the time to keep pushing forward with the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel drawing near.
“The more that we can reduce transmission, the more effective vaccines will be in protecting our communities when we start to ease things up in the near future.”
There have been 16,824 vaccine doses administered over the last 24 hours, with more than 2.55 million vaccines being administered to date in Alberta.
Nearly 50 per cent of the province has received at least one dose.
Hinshaw also took time to address vaccine appointments and a rise in no-shows over the long weekend.
“A one to three per cent no-show rate is typical but AHS noted the provincial no-show rate rose to over four per cent over the last three days.”
Hinshaw says this could be related to the long weekend, but wants to remind people how important it is to cancel appointments you won’t be able to make.
“These no-shows are not resulting in vaccine wastage, but they do take an appointment from someone who wants it, and they slow down our ability to vaccinate people as quickly as possible.”
