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Alberta identifies 1,743 new COVID-19 cases, nine additional deaths

This 2020 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows SARS-CoV-2 virus particles which cause COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Hannah A. Bullock, Azaibi Tamin/CDC via AP

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — Alberta has identified 1,743 new cases of COVID-19, 876 of which are variants of concern.

The new cases come after the completion of 14,585 tests, giving the province a positivity rate of more than 12 per cent over the last day.

The province has also identified an additional case of the B.1.617 variant, the strain that has wreaked havoc in India.

This is just the second identified case involving the variant since the first case was reported on Apr. 22.

Alberta now has 23,623 active cases of COVID-19.

The province also saw a slight increase in deaths over the last day, with nine being reported on Tuesday.

Hospitalizations rose to 671, with a slight dip in ICU admissions, now at 150.

As for vaccines, the province administered another 28,152 doses in the last 24 hours, bringing total vaccines administered to date in Alberta to nearly 1.7 million.

Tuesday’s case numbers come just hours before Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is set to make an address to the province regarding new restrictions.

That address can be viewed live here beginning at 6 p.m.