Alberta to announce plans to roll back COVID-19 restrictions this week
Premier Jason Kenney is expected to announce when Albertans will see the end of COVID-19 public health restrictions early this week.
Late last week, Kenney said that the first thing to go would be the Restriction Exemption Program (REP).
Kenney added that the province is better positioned to manage future waves of COVID-19 due to high vaccination rates and other COVID-19 medications.
“The REP has done its job,” added Kenney last week. “Vaccines are still tremendously powerful in preventing severe outcomes, and the single best thing you can do to keep things open is to get your booster shot.”
“We will lay out a simple phased plan to remove almost all public health restrictions later this month.”
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, agreed on Thursday that Alberta would eventually be approaching COVID-19 through an endemic lens.
“This is the direction we need to move. This is a shift in thinking that can be challenging,” said Hinshaw, adding that once the Omicron wave subsides, the province can shift to an endemic model.
Alberta reported more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with 1,584 individuals in hospital with COVID-19. This includes 118 people in intensive care.
Alberta’s COVID-19 death toll stands at 3,634.
Follow Channels and Categories