COVID-19 numbers take dramatic jump in Alberta as province sets new pandemic records

One day before Halloween, Alberta is reporting a dramatic increase in the number of new and active cases of COVID-19.

The province reported 622 new cases on Friday,a new daily record and significantlyabove the average of 450 new cases the province has been seeing for the last 10 days.

The new cases also pushed the number of active cases in the province to a record 5,172, which is 251 more cases than the day before.

Currently, 140 Albertans are in hospital with the disease, 25 of them in ICU, also both record numbers.

The province also reported five more deathsFriday:

• A manin his 70s from Edmonton zone, not linked to continuing care.
• Two men, one in his 80s and anotherin his 90s, linked to the outbreak at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre in Edmonton.
• A manin his 80s linked to the South Terrace Continuing Care Centre in Edmonton Zone.
• A man in his 70slinked to the outbreak at the Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary.

The deaths bring the total number in Alberta to 323.

The regional breakdown of active cases on Friday is:

• Edmonton zone: 2,312, an increase from 2,277 the day before.
• Calgary zone: 2,034, an increasefrom 1,879 the day before.
• North zone: 353, an increase from325 the day before.
• South zone: 276, an increase from 256the day before.
• Central zone: 178an increase from 162 the day before.
• Unknown: 19,a decrease from 22 the day before.

These numbers will be the last until Tuesday when Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, holds her next news conference.