It’s expected Alberta Premier Jason Kenney will bring forward his UCP government’s plans to end COVID-19 public health restrictions and vaccine passports early this week..Kenney said plans will be “phased in” to remove measures including the vaccine mandate program which forced specific businesses to require vaccine passports or negative COVID-19 tests within 72 hours of accessing the business or service..Kenney took to Twitter on Friday to speak to Albertans about his government’s plans to lift restrictions..Kenney included a five-minute video discussing his government’s COVID Cabinet Committee will “approve a plan for the careful lifting of public health measures beginning with the Restriction Exemption Program (REP).”.“We can – and must – get on with our lives, restore our freedoms, and live with joy, not fear,” wrote Kenney in his tweet..United Nurses of Alberta President Heather Smith said she believed the lifting of restrictions is, “way too premature.”.“It’s not evidence-based and it’s irresponsible and reckless,” said Smith on the UNA’s Facebook page..Kenney has gone back and forth on his COVID-19 policies over the last two years..At the onset of the pandemic, Alberta declared a state of emergency in March 2020 and followed with months of varying restrictions through most of 2020. Although Kenney announced in late November 2020 no further lockdowns were planned, less than two weeks later, the province was put into another lockdown with tightening restrictions through December and most of January 2021..Again, with varying restrictions through the spring of 2021, Kenney’s government went back and forth with plans to lift restrictions..Mid-June, Kenny announced Alberta would be “Open for Summer” and said nearly all remaining public health orders would be lifted by July 1..Throughout the summer, Kenney was quoted saying the province was “open for good” at a Calgary Stampede pancake breakfast and the province later announced a relax on COVID-19 testing and self-isolation requirements..Mid-September, Kenney returned the province to a state of emergency and, after many promises not to, he said Alberta would soon move to a vaccine passport system..With growing cases due to the highly infectious Omicron variant, Kenney brought in further restrictions ahead of the Christmas break and students were given an additional week off in the new year allowing for teachers and school administrators to devise a “plan for students to return safely to learning.”.Throughout January 2022, and amid record COVID-19 case counts and rising hospitalizations, Kenney confirmed his government would not follow other provinces in exploring making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory in Alberta or imposing a tax on the unvaccinated..Based on stats on the Alberta government website — not yet updated since February 3 — there are 1584 Albertans in hospital, 118 of which are in ICU..More to come….Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
