The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Alberta is ramping up after the province administered nearly 80,000 doses of vaccine in the past 48 hours.   

As of April 15th, a total of 1,082,391 doses have now gone into Albertan arms, with 78,268 administered on April 14th and 15th.

Those vaccines are badly needed as the province reported another 1,616 new cases of the virus including 859 variant cases.  There are now 8,967 active cases that are of the variants or 53.5 percent. 16,759 cases are now active in Alberta, a rise of 536 from the previous day.

Alberta labs performed 16,876 tests, making for a virtually identical positivity rate today as yesterday at 9.6 percent.  

The number of Albertans in hospital went up again, rising from 416 on Thursday to 423 today.  ICU patients are also up by seven, from 86 to 93.

The province reported no further deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, just the second time that has occurred in 2021.  

The number of active cases also rose today in the City of Airdrie from 240 yesterday to 248 today.  Rocky View County's active cases fell by 11 to 194. 

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