Alberta reported more COVID-19 cases in September than any month prior, data shows – CBC

Record hospitalizations, ICU admissions also set last month

Oct 04, 2021

September was arguably Alberta’s worst month of the COVID-19 pandemic, provincial data suggests.

More Albertans tested positive for COVID-19 than in any month prior, and records for hospital and ICU admissions were set. Deaths in September also spiked, making it the deadliest month since January 2021.

Driving this situation were the infectious delta variant, insufficient public health measures, delayed government action and low vaccination rates, said Craig Jenne, an associate professor of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary.

“When we backed off restrictions, the virus was able to exploit that and really move quite quickly through the unvaccinated,” said Jenne, referring to the lifting of restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings, capacity limits and masks.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-19-cases-september-data-1.6197781