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Photo: Government of Alberta
By Canadian Press
Meeting Monday

Decision on moving into Step 3 not yet made: Kenney

Mar 18, 2021 | 4:36 PM

EDMONTON – Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says COVID-19 data looks promising as his cabinet prepares to meet Monday to decide whether to further ease public health restrictions.

Kenney says the key metric is the hospitalization rate, which has been well under 300 for three weeks.

“Meaning we have enormous flux capacity in the health system,” said Kenney. “And, we are, everyday, vaccinating more and more of the vulnerable.”

The mark of 300 or less hospitalizations was announced in January as the benchmark to reach before the province would consider moving to the third stage of its phased economic relaunch plan, which could include reopening entertainment venues such as movie theatres and casinos, and allowing adult team sports.

Alberta’s daily COVID-19 case rates have fallen after recording almost 1,900 per day three months ago. Kenney credits that drop in new cases due in part to rising numbers of citizens getting a vaccination.

However, those case rates have been ticking up in recent days as the province deals with more contagious variant strains of COVID-19. Chief medical officer of health, DR. Deena Hinshaw, announced Thursday that there were 505 new cases recorded in Alberta, with another 91 that were found to be variants of concern.

“We have stopped seeing the decline in new daily cases, total active cases and hospitalizations. But they have been stable,” said Kenney. “There have been little blips up, little blips down, but basically the situation has been relatively stable.”

Hinshaw wouldn’t directly say whether she was in support of or against moving to Step 3 as early as Monday, but did add that no matter what restrictions are or are not eased, it is crucial that Albertans follow the guidelines that are in place at any given time.

“Whatever the framework of restrictions is, it is absolutely critical that each one of us, everyday, is following what’s in place,” said Hinshaw.

“Because when we get tired of those, when we put them aside, that’s when the virus has that chance to spread from one to many.”

Retailers, restaurants, youth sports, and in-person worship services have been open with restrictions while indoor gatherings remain banned and outdoor get-togethers are capped at 10 people.

(The Canadian Press – with files from Shaun Penner / EverythingGP)

by Canadian Press