Highest one-day total since May: Alberta reports 1,315 new cases of COVID-19

EDMONTON — Alberta is reporting 1,315 new cases of COVID-19, the highest one-day total since mid-May, when the peak of the last wave began to recede.

The province also says there are 465 infected people in hospital, including 107 in intensive care, and eight more deaths.

Alberta has been averaging more than 1,000 new cases a day for the last week.

The number of ICU cases has doubled in the last 10 days.

Premier Jason Kenney’s United Conservative government has been silent for weeks on what — if anything — it will do, but said earlier this summer that rising case numbers were to be expected.

The province lifted almost all health restrictions July 1.

School boards, businesses, sports teams and municipalities are bringing in their own rules on masking, testing and vaccinations.

The Opposition NDP says it’s time Kenney or Health Minister Tyler Shandro speak to Albertans about how they plan to address a rising fourth wave of the pandemic.