The active total of COVID-19 cases is slightly rising in Fort McMurray.

The province announced on Friday 1,608 new cases across Alberta – the second highest daily count since measures were first introduced in mid-March.

This raises the provincial total to 56,444 with 15,692 currently active. There are also 435 Albertans in the hospital for the virus, 95 of which are in ICUs.

Locally, Fort McMurray saw 10 new cases and nine additional recoveries which raises the active total to 198.

The rural areas also added one more COVID-19 case and two recoveries which lowers the total of active cases to 24.

In total, 600 individuals across the RMWB – 520 in Fort McMurray and 80 in the rural areas – have recovered.

They are among the 40,219 who’ve recovered across the province. This represents just over 71 per cent of reported cases.

There were also nine new deaths from COVID-19 in Alberta over the past day – raising the total to 533.

To date, two individuals in Fort McMurray have died as a result of the virus.