Alberta's 4,738 active COVID-19 cases again eclipse previous records

Alberta set another record on Tuesday with 4,738 active cases ofCOVID-19, an increase of 261 from the day before.

The death toll now sits at 309, up two from Monday.

The two most recent people to die were a woman in her 70s from Edmonton zone who was not in continuing care anda man in his 90s from the Edith Cavell Care Centre in the South zone.

Though the number of new cases dipped to 422 on Tuesday (down 82 from the day before), hospitalizations rose by five to 123.

The province brought in new mandatory limits of 15 people at most social gatherings in Edmonton and Calgary on Mondayafter the province reported 1,440 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend.

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That total included a record of 572 new cases on Saturday and 504 new cases on Sunday.

The province set the previous record with 4,477 active cases on Sunday, an increase of 826 from the total seen on Thursday.

The province completed9,325 COVID-19 tests on Monday, with a positivity rate of about 4.5 per cent.

Edmonton's active case numbers continue to be the highest in the province. The regional breakdown of active cases on Tuesday is:

• Edmonton zone: 2,290, up 111 from the day before.
• Calgary zone: 1,672, up 123 from the day before.
• North zone: 334, up 23 from the day before.
• South zone: 254, down one from the day before.
• Central zone: 165, up three from the day before.
• Unknown: 23, up two from the day before.

Royal Alexandra Hospital outbreak

An COVID-19 outbreak has been declared in one unit at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. The outbreak involvesfour patients and two health care workers,Alberta Health Services said. Five cases are active and one is recovered.

Outbreak control measures have been implemented in the affected unit, andvisitors are restricted until further notice.

Four of the five active outbreaks in acute care facilities are in the Edmonton zone, including the Royal Alex outbreak.