Wastewater suggests COVID count climbing in Calgary as hospitalizations drop
Alberta updated its COVID-19 data for the first time since last Friday.
There are 956 Albertans with COVID-19 in hospital, including 56 in intensive care.
"I'm pleased to report that hospitalizations due to COVID continue to drop, slowly but surely," said Health Minister Jason Copping.
"We need to acknowledge that COVID-19 remains with us and the health system is still under significant pressure."
A total of 4,044 Albertans have died since the pandemic began, a count that grew by 21 over the prior four days.
Alberta's positivity rate, which Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said is the most important leading indicator, ranged from 20.6 to 27.1 per cent between Friday and Monday.
Hinshaw added BA.2 is now the dominant strain of Omicron in Alberta.
"Although inherently more transmissible than BA.1, so far there is no evidence of it causing more severe disease than BA.1," she said. "While this is good news, we only have to look back to the fifth wave to see that a virus that is more transmissible can cause a large impact at a population level even if the risk of severe outcomes are the same or lower for individuals."
WASTEWATER WATCHING
As the province significantly cuts back on its reporting, there are still reminders the pandemic can't just be shut off.
Without widespread testing, tracking wastewater may be the most reliable way to predict where the virus could go next.
"Wastewater data is very inclusive," geomicrobiology professor Casey Hubert told CTV News. "It says what you could if you could do a PCR test on the whole community."
Hubert tracks those trends.
His data is publicly available here.
"What we are seeing now is similar levels in wastewater to what we saw in the middle of the Delta wave in the fall," he said.
That suggests COVID-19 cases are ticking upwards in Calgary and Edmonton.
Both Banff and Medicine Hat are seeing more concerning increases relative to their population size.
Alberta will update its COVID-19 data next Wednesday.
With files from CTV Edmonton
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.