EDMONTON — For a fourth straight day, Alberta set a record for the number of patients in its intensive care units as the province also added 1,799 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday. 

The province reported four deaths of individuals who ranged in age from 40s to 70s. There have now been 2,123 deaths due to COVID-19 in Alberta, including 56 of people under 50 years old. 

There were 169 patients in ICU at the end of Tuesday, an increase of six from the day before. Eight of the 10 highest ICU counts have now been recorded in the month of May. 

There are 737 Albertans being treated for COVID-19 in hospital, about the same level as during the end of the second wave in mid-January. 

Also Wednesday, new cases continued to trend down with the province’s rolling average fell for a fifth day in a row. But, active cases still remain high: now at 24,962, the fourth highest figure to date. 

The province recorded a 10.43 per cent test positivity based on more than 17,000 tests. Wednesday was the 14th straight day the province’s test positivity has exceeded 10 per cent. 

Vaccinations also continued to grow with more than 28,000 shots administered over the last 24 hour reporting period. 

More than 1.6 million Albertans have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, about 37 per cent of the population.

Just over 320,000 second doses have now been given out. Just under two million total doses have been administered.

The province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, is expected to return for another in-person availability later this week.

EDMONTON — A man is facing 16 charges after Red Deer RCMP executed a search warrant that resulted in a large drug seizure.

On April 30, RCMP conducted a search warrant on a home in the Highland Green neighbourhood and found a large amount of drugs and a weapon.

Crime Reduction Team officers found a loaded firearm, ammunition, money and a large amount of drugs and trafficking material, said RCMP.

Those drugs included:

• 17 g of Methamphetamine
• 67 g of Fentanyl
• 3 g of suspected Carfentanil
• 2 g of cocaine

Matthew Ridsdale, 36, faces 16 charges including:

• Possession for the purpose of trafficking (x3)
• Unauthorized possession of a firearm (x2)
• Possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition
• Unauthorized possession of a firearm (x2)
• Careless use of a firearm
• Illegal possession of government documents
• Possession of property obtained by crime less than $5,000
• Fail to comply probation order (x4)
• Fail to comply with release order conditions

Ridsdale is scheduled to appear at Red Deer Provincial Court on Thursday.

CALGARY — British Columbia RCMP officials confirm a 41-year-old man has been charged following the recent discovery of a body east of Radium, B.C.

Philip Toner, 41, faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with the death of 35-year-old Brenda Ware.

Ware, who lived on a rural property between the Alberta towns of Sundre and Cremona, went missing earlier this month.

Her body was located near her vehicle on May 6 at a location approximately 50 kilometres east of Radium along Highway 93 in Kootenay National Park.

RCMP released a photograph of Philip Toner on Tuesday and indicated he was considered a person of interest in connection with the suspicious death investigation.

Toner was arrested that same day in the central Okanagan region of B.C. and, on Wednesday, RCMP officials confirmed a second-degree murder charge had been laid.

The accused appeared in Kelowna provincial court Wednesday morning ahead of his scheduled return to Alberta.

According to RCMP, the second-degree murder charge was officially laid by Alberta courts as its believed the alleged offense occurred within Alberta’s boundaries.

“Although a charge has now been laid in relation to this complex, inter-provincial criminal investigation, the investigation is still very much active and ongoing at this time,” said acting officer-In-charge Supt. Sanjaya Wijayakoon of the BC RCMP Major Crime Section.

“We continue to share Toner’s photo in an effort to advance the investigation,”

RCMP officials are asking anyone who was in contact with Toner between May 4 and 11 to contact police immediately.

Anyone who may have offered or provided a ride to a hitchhiker between Columbia Valley and Lake Country in recent days is also encouraged to reach out to police.

MIRROR — RCMP say they ticketed four people after an anti-lockdown rally was attended by hundreds in central Alberta over the weekend.

A “Save Alberta Campout Protest” was held Saturday outside the Whistle Stop Cafe in the hamlet of Mirror, Alta., to support owner Chris Scott as health officials had closed his business earlier in the week.

Alberta Health Services had said they received hundreds of complaints about the cafe and that it had not been complying with COVID-19 restrictions.

Scott, who also organized the rally, stood on a stage in the rain and rallied the crowd to challenge measures meant to curb the spread of the virus.

He was arrested a few hours later and RCMP say they ticketed four people under the Public Health Act for attending the gathering.

A court decision last week gives health authorities and the RCMP the power to take legal action to stop any planned protests of public health restrictions.