Alberta records highest new daily case count of third wave; new variant confirmed in returning interprovincial traveller
The number of new cases of COVID-19 in Alberta today is the highest daily count of the third wave and is matches the heights of the second wave in early December.
The province’s top doctor also says the province has confirmed the first case of the B.1.617 variant first identified in Denmark and is the cause of rapidly rising case counts in India.
“This variant was in a returning inter-provincial traveller to Alberta and no additional cases of this variant have been detected to date,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw.
Research is underway to learn more about the variant and health officials are monitoring it and its spread closely. As well, it is being called a variant of interest, not a variant of concern as the B.1.1.7 (U.K.), B.1.351 (South African) and P.1 (Brazilian) variants are.