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Photo Credit: The Canadian Press
By EverythingGP staff
kenney slams restaurant owners

Kenney upset with businesses who defied public health orders

Jan 29, 2021 | 6:05 PM

Premier Jason Kenney is calling out restaurant owners who decided to defy public health orders and open up for business this past week.

During his Friday news conference when announcing Alberta’s new four-step plan for easing public health restrictions, Kenney was asked to give his opinion on restaurant owners opening up while restrictions on in-person dining are place.

“Our approach has always been to begin with education and then to work with people for compliance and only use enforcement as a last resort,” said Kenney. “It is regrettable to see that some people, in a very deliberate way, are thumbing their nose at the law and in so doing it, at our public health.

“When they do it, they’re thumbing their nose at the ICU nurses that have been working around the clock. What they’re doing is saying their personal wishes outweigh the need to protect our health-care system.”

Kenney asked restaurant owners to stop attempting to open while restrictions are in place, adding the more people that disobey the rules, the more likely the province will end up where we were in December.

“If it’s alright for one business or individual to do that (open) and then a growing number do it, we end up in a situation where there’s a total lack of equity. Where businesses and individuals who follow the rules are effectively punished for doing so and we end up potentially in a situation where we have to put more stringent restrictions on everybody if we get back to exponential growth, piling up more people in the hospital and cancelling more surgeries.”

“This is not a joke, this is very serious.”

He pleaded to those who’ve attempted to open to look at the bigger picture.

“People have every right to be deeply frustrated, I especially understand business owners who’ve been going through incredible stress. But that stress is not going to get any better if we see widespread violations of the public health measures in the province.

“Take a step back and look at this objectively and have a fair mind.”

Kenney pointed to the fact that Alberta has not fully locked down since the pandemic began, compared to places like Ontario and Quebec, where some schools are shut down and stay-at-home orders are in place.

He says 95 per cent of businesses in the province have been able to remain open because Albertans are mutually respecting the COVID-19 protocols.

“We’ve tried very hard to maintain that balance, but it depends on people being responsible.”

Kenney also called out elected officials who have shown support to the restaurants who have defied the orders, like those in Bonnyville who dined out at a local establishment and posted pictures to social media.

“To see people in elected government positions encouraging a flagrant disregard of public health measures during a pandemic like this is totally irresponsible.”

“Our approach has been to start with education and then to work with people towards compliance. But, it’s clear to us that there’s going to have to be stronger enforcement action to maintain a level playing field, so law-abiding businesses are not punished for respecting the rules.”

by EverythingGP staff