EDMONTON — Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have risen by nearly 50 per cent since the start of the month in Alberta as the province reported 133 coronavirus patients in hospital, including 29 in intensive care units on Tuesday. 

The province has had over 100 COVID-19 patients in hospital every day since Aug. 3 and more than 20 patients in intensive care since the start of the month. 

Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have risen from 92 at the start of the month to 133, a 46 per cent increase. 

There were two new deaths due to COVID-19 reported Tuesday, bringing the province’s death toll to 2,330.

Among eligible Albertans, 76.5 per cent have received a first dose of vaccine and 67.1 per cent have had two doses.

Alberta reported 279 new cases Tuesday as active cases rose for a 24th consecutive day, up to 3,463, about where the active case count was June 12. 

The province reported a 5.25 per cent test positivity rate. 

Alberta is ending routine COVID-19 testing next week, with testing no longer recommended for those with symptoms unless the result is needed to direct future care. 

The province’s testing facilities will close down at the end of the month, leaving primary care settings like hospitals and doctor’s offices as the main venues for testing. 

Alberta has already closed routine testing to asymptomatic individuals such as close contacts to those who test positive.

The limits on testing mean the daily case counts will lose much of their meaning without routine screening. 

The next data update is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

EDMONTON — Edmonton Elks offensive lineman SirVincent Rogers is calling on unvaccinated Albertans to book their shot after he tested positive for COVID-19.

In a tweet, Rogers said he had dealt with minor symptoms so far including nasal congestion and sluggishness after testing positive ahead of the team’s season and home opener last weekend.

“I urge anyone in doubt to consider the vaccines from a viewpoint of protection from COVID, not prevention,” he wrote.

Rogers was placed on the team’s six-game injured list. 

The Elks cancelled their walkthrough last Friday due to COVID-19 protocols. 

The team’s game against the Ottawa Redblacks went ahead as scheduled Saturday night. 

The Elks say the Canadian Football League is aware of the team’s vaccination rate but that the Elks’ director of sports medicine and rehabilitation is the only one within the club privy to that information.

Before the start of the season, the CFL announced it was encouraging all players to get vaccinated. 

The league estimates about 79 per cent of its players have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines as of the end of July. 

Three CFL teams have more than 85 per cent of theIr players vaccinated while the six other teams have vaccination rates ranging from 67 to 81 per cent.

The league’s policy also states that if a game cannot be played or rescheduled due to COVID-19 issues the affected team or teams will forfeit. Additionally, teams without an 85 per cent vaccination rate will not be paid for that week’s game.

Since Jan.1, 86.5 per cent of deaths due to COVID-19 have been in those either unvaccinated or within two weeks of getting their first dose. 

Also since the start of the year, 92 per cent of hospitalized COVID-19 cases been in the same group.

EDMONTON — A portion of Highway 2 in Sturgeon County was closed Tuesday morning after a fatal crash between a semi and SUV.

RCMP, EMS and firefighters were called around 11:15 p.m. and said in an update a few hours later “all occupants of the SUV” had died at the scene just north of Highway 651. At the time, it wasn’t known how many people were in the vehicle.

Police later confirmed that the SUV appeared to travelling southbound on Highway 2 when it swerved into the oncoming lane and collided with the northbound semi.

Shortly before 11 a.m., Mounties confirmed one male and two females, all of unknown age, were in the SUV when it is believed to have crashed head on with the northbound semi. 

RCMP were still working to confirm the names of the trio. 

The semi-truck driver was not injured.

An RCMP spokesperson said prior to the crash, Mounties had received several complaints about an SUV being driven erratically in the Athabasca, Westlock and Morinville areas. 

The SUV and semi crashed before police were able to track down the SUV at the centre of the complaints. 

On scene, a semi with a trailer was seen partially in the ditch. The white vehicle in the ditch near it had been totalled.  

Highway 2 remained closed between Highway 651 and Township Road 580 until just after 1 p.m. 

EDMONTON — Longtime Edmonton City Councillor Ben Henderson will run for Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party in the next federal election.

A notice was posted on the party’s website Monday announcing that Henderson had been acclaimed in the riding of Edmonton Mill Woods.

When reached for comment Monday night, Henderson called it an “opportunity that was too good to pass up.”

He said an official announcement would be made on Tuesday, and declined further comment until then.

“The hope and hard work of Liberals across Canada will ensure our candidates and teams are ready to run competitive campaigns, and earn another mandate from Canadians – including right here in Edmonton Mill Woods,” the Liberal announcement said.

The riding is now held by Conservative Tim Uppal, who defeated Amarjeet Sohi for the seat in 2019.

Sohi is now running for Mayor of Edmonton.

Monday’s announcement ends speculation that current Mayor Don Iveson was planning to run for the Liberals in Mill Woods.

Henderson has been a city councillor since 2007, and previously announced he would not be seeking another term. 

HENDERSON ‘A BIG NAME LOCAL CANDIDATE’

Political writer and commentator Dave Cournoyer shared the acclimation notice on Twitter and said he was surprised Henderson isn’t running in the Strathcona area he currently represents.

“There may have been a calculation that running against (current NDP MP) Heather McPherson, either maybe he has a professional relationship with her, or maybe the Liberals chances just weren’t as good with an NDP incumbent,” he said.

Uppal beat Sohi by nearly 9,000 votes in 2019. Sohi won Mill Woods by less than 100 in 2015.

Aside from a handful of urban ridings, Albertans usually elect Conservative MPs. McPherson was the only exception last election. But with the Liberals leading in national polling, Cournoyer believes Henderson has a decent chance.

“The area has a history of voting for Liberals and electing Liberal MPs, so I can see why they would want to recruit a candidate with a little bit of name recognition and campaign experience, that could bring a little bit of attention.”

A federal election has not been called, but with parties quickly nominating candidates, it is widely speculated that Canadians will vote in 2021. 

EDMONTON — Sherwood Park’s Kelsey Mitchell received a champion’s welcome as she arrived in Edmonton from Tokyo.

The cyclist capped off Canada’s incredible Olympic run with a gold medal. She arrived Monday evening and was greeted by family, friends, supporters, and her previous coach – all extra excited to see her since they were not allowed to watch the race in person.

“It’s amazing,” Mitchell said. “My legs were just vibrating as I came down the stairs and saw everyone. The community behind me, the support is how I got this (gold medal).”

Mitchell became an Olympic champion just four years after taking up cycling.

Prior to that she played on the University of Alberta’s Pandas soccer team.

Among the crowd welcoming Kelsey home were her parents. Her mother Val could not hold back the tears as they celebrated Mitchell’s win for the first time together in person.

“It’s just been amazing, so much love,” Val said. “We’re just all so proud of her and we just wanted her to come home.

“Now we’re just going to let her eat whatever she wants,” Val added, as she laughed.

The cyclist began her pursuit of the sport at the Argyll Velodrome in Edmonton before making the national team in 2018 and moving to train in Ontario.

She is now the third Canadian ever to earn an Olympic medal in track cycling. Quebecer Lauriane Genest earned a bronze in Tokyo and 17 years ago Edmontonian Lori-Ann Muenzer took home gold for Canada in Athens.

Mitchell is already thinking about getting ready for the next Olympic Games in Paris.

She also told CTV News Edmonton that she is excited to use her newfound fame to be an ambassador for the sport of cycling and inspire the next generation of athletes.

Mitchell is one of three medalists from Alberta.

Stony Plain native Stephanie Labbe, women’s soccer goalkeeper, won gold and Rebecca Smith from Red Deer won sliver for women’s swimming 4X100 freestyle relay. Calgary’s Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski also won gold in women’s eight rowing.