While admitting earlier pandemic modelling was wrong, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney issued another stark warning to the province..“Case numbers have been over 800 for two days straight and hospitalizations above 300, though declining in recent days,” said Kenney during a Thursday press conference..Kenney warned those who continued to defy the public health measures, stating the “variants are winning” and “sending more people to the hospital.”.“We see growing non-compliance with the restrictions that are in place. And that’s why my plea today is to ask my fellow Albertans to please follow the measures that are in place,” he said..“We would be substantially ahead of this [flattening the curve] if not for the continued non-compliance.”.Alberta is currently in Step 2 of the province’s Path Forward to overcome COVID-19..Kenney said leading indicators such as positivity rates, which are the highest they’ve been since the beginning of the year, could lead to over 1,000 hospitalizations by the end of April..But he also admitted much of the pandemic modelling was “inaccurate,” and he was concerned by how behind Albertans were in immunizing their population..The average age for Albertans hospitalized due to COVID-19 is 62 years, while those admitted to the ICU are 68 years old..Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw also scolded COVID-19 scofflaws who weren’t following the rules..“We will not win this race with variants if we do not abide by the restrictions and public health measures in place,” said Hinshaw..She said by working together, Albertans increase the likelihood of returning to normalcy by summer..Kenney was optimistic that Alberta would have “the best summer ever”..Alberta’s Path Forward was the province’s attempt to avoid a full-fledged lockdown, proposing re-opening the economy in stages in light of increased protest and outright defiance..Anti-lockdown protests have taken place across the province, with notable examples of outright defiance, including Edmonton’s GraceLife Church..The former head of Alberta Emergency Management, Lt. Col. David Redman, emphasized the importance of non-pharmaceutical measures for containing the spread of COVID-19, which have fallen on deaf ears from Hinshaw and Alberta’s government..However, like many others, including licenced physicians, he has denounced the use of lockdowns, calling them draconian..While Alberta has not employed a full-fledged lockdown like in B.C., Ontario, or Quebec, the province has observed delays in carrying out its plan to flatten the curve..In a February meeting with UCP members, Kenney confirmed his government would not skip Step 2 despite nearing Step 3 hospitalization levels in late February..Dhaliwal is a Western Standard reporter based in Edmonton
While admitting earlier pandemic modelling was wrong, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney issued another stark warning to the province..“Case numbers have been over 800 for two days straight and hospitalizations above 300, though declining in recent days,” said Kenney during a Thursday press conference..Kenney warned those who continued to defy the public health measures, stating the “variants are winning” and “sending more people to the hospital.”.“We see growing non-compliance with the restrictions that are in place. And that’s why my plea today is to ask my fellow Albertans to please follow the measures that are in place,” he said..“We would be substantially ahead of this [flattening the curve] if not for the continued non-compliance.”.Alberta is currently in Step 2 of the province’s Path Forward to overcome COVID-19..Kenney said leading indicators such as positivity rates, which are the highest they’ve been since the beginning of the year, could lead to over 1,000 hospitalizations by the end of April..But he also admitted much of the pandemic modelling was “inaccurate,” and he was concerned by how behind Albertans were in immunizing their population..The average age for Albertans hospitalized due to COVID-19 is 62 years, while those admitted to the ICU are 68 years old..Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw also scolded COVID-19 scofflaws who weren’t following the rules..“We will not win this race with variants if we do not abide by the restrictions and public health measures in place,” said Hinshaw..She said by working together, Albertans increase the likelihood of returning to normalcy by summer..Kenney was optimistic that Alberta would have “the best summer ever”..Alberta’s Path Forward was the province’s attempt to avoid a full-fledged lockdown, proposing re-opening the economy in stages in light of increased protest and outright defiance..Anti-lockdown protests have taken place across the province, with notable examples of outright defiance, including Edmonton’s GraceLife Church..The former head of Alberta Emergency Management, Lt. Col. David Redman, emphasized the importance of non-pharmaceutical measures for containing the spread of COVID-19, which have fallen on deaf ears from Hinshaw and Alberta’s government..However, like many others, including licenced physicians, he has denounced the use of lockdowns, calling them draconian..While Alberta has not employed a full-fledged lockdown like in B.C., Ontario, or Quebec, the province has observed delays in carrying out its plan to flatten the curve..In a February meeting with UCP members, Kenney confirmed his government would not skip Step 2 despite nearing Step 3 hospitalization levels in late February..Dhaliwal is a Western Standard reporter based in Edmonton
