Photo: Government of Alberta

By Shane Clausing

COVID update September 17

Grande Prairie records 34th COVID-19 death, adds 36 new cases

Sep 17, 2021 | 3:50 PM

The City of Grande Prairie recorded its 34th death from COVID-19 on Thursday.

The death recorded in Grande Prairie was one of 18 reported to Alberta Health over the last 24 hours and one of four in the North Zone. There have been 2,523 deaths as a result of COVID-19 in Alberta.

Meanwhile, Grande Prairie added 36 new COVID-19 cases along with 43 recoveries over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of active cases in the Swan City down to 452.

In the County of Grande Prairie, there were 16 new cases and 11 recoveries identified over the last 24 hours. There are 175 active cases in the County.

Alberta added 2,020 new cases on 17,327 tests, resulting in an 11.6 per cent test positivity rate. There are currently 19,201 active cases in the province.

Active case totals, as of September 16 among Peace Region municipalities, are as follows:

• City of Grande Prairie: 452 active (-8)
• County of Grande Prairie: 175 active (+5)
• MD of Greenview: 67 active (-7)
• Birch Hills County: two active (-)
• MD of Spirit River: 16 active (-2)
• Saddle Hills County: seven active (-)
• MD of Peace: 125 active (-3)
• MD of Fairview: 43 active (+9)
• MD of Smoky River: 17 active (-1)
• Big Lakes County: 103 active (-6)
• Clear Hills County: 27 active (-)
• County of Northern Lights: 69 active (+11)
• Northern Sunrise County: 16 active (-1)
• Mackenzie County: 238 active (+13)

Across the province, hospitalizations grew from 896 to 911, while ICU patients dropped from 222 down to 215.

In the North Zone, hospitalizations grew by six to 105, while the number of ICU patients fell by two to 11.

In Grande Prairie, 62.9 per cent of residents who are eligible (those aged 12 and up) have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 54.1 per cent of the eligible population have been fully vaccinated.

In Alberta, 80.1 per cent of the eligible population have received one dose of the vaccine, while 71.8 per cent of those eligible are fully vaccinated.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said in a Facebook live chat on Thursday night that since the announcement of the province’s COVID-19 vaccine passport on Wednesday, 25,000 new appointments were reported as of Thursday night.

Alberta Health says on September 16, they administered 28,158 doses across the province, a drastic rise from the 9,750 on September 15.