Twenty-eight new cases of B.1.1.7 variant, six additional deaths reported in Alberta

In this illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Public Health officials in Prince Edward Island are reporting two new cases of COVID-19 today. THE CANADIAN PRESS/CDC via AP, File

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — Twenty-eight new cases of the B.1.1.7 variant have been identified in Alberta over the past 24 hours.

The jump in variant cases comes as the province reports an additional 255 cases of COVID-19.

Over the past day, over 5,400 tests were completed, giving us a positivity rate hovering around 4.6 per cent.

Six additional Albertans died from COVID-19, including another death linked to the Churchill Manor retirement home in Edmonton.

READ MORE: Alberta business owner apologetic for renting salon to party with DJ during pandemic

Currently, there are 263 people in hospital fighting COVID-19, with 37 people in the ICU.

On the vaccine front, 303,823 doses have now been administered with 91,138 Albertans fully immunized with two doses.

Though no update was held by the province on Tuesday, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, took to Twitter with a reminder about vaccine bookings coming Wednesday.

The next update from the province is expected to be Wednesday afternoon.