Alberta COVID-19 Update
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney speaking at the relaunch press conference on June 9, 2020. Photo Credit: High River Online.
Global Public Affairs is closely monitoring new developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta. We will continue to provide our clients with Special Updates and briefings on this evolving dynamic as material is received and analyzed.
Today, Premier Jason Kenney announced that Alberta is moving up the start date of province-wide Phase 2 of the provincial relaunch to this Friday, June 12. Additionally, some elements originally planned for Phase 3 have been moved forward. Premier Kenney said the relaunch was advanced because Albertans took seriously their responsibility and role to help manage the pandemic. In turn, the government and Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, had the data on the number of recovered cases, hospitalization numbers, including those in ICU beds and trends regarding new cases, to make the decisions leading to Phase 2 relaunch.
Both the Premier and Dr. Hinshaw stressed however that Albertans must remain vigilant and adhere to public health guidelines, otherwise, targeted restrictions and roll backs will be introduced. In fact, recent polling data, including research by Leger Marketing, shows that Albertans, among all Canadians, believe most strongly that a second wave of COVID-19 is likely later this year, and that Albertans have the greatest fear among Canadians that the relaunch of the economy and resumptions of some services is happening too quickly.
Beginning June 12, the following may re-open while ensuring measures are in place to respect public health guidelines:
• K-12 schools for diploma exams and summer school; • Libraries; • Wellness services, such as acupuncture, reflexology and massage; • Personal services, such as cosmetic skin and body treatments, manicures, and pedicures; • Movie theatres; • Instrumental concerts; • Sports teams and recreational leagues within regional cohorts; and • A 50 per cent of capacity limit for provincial parks will be lifted, and by July 1, all camp sites will be open for reservations.The following Phase 3 activities have been moved up to Phase 2 and will also be available on June 12:
• Indoor recreation facilities, pools, gyms and arenas; • Casinos and bingo halls; and • ArcadesVideo Lottery Terminals found in casinos and bars can be used starting June 12.
Additionally, public gathering limits for outdoor and seated indoor events will double from a limit of 50 people to a maximum of 100, indoor social events will increase from a 15 person maximum to 50 people and places of worship will no longer have caps but physical distancing measures must remain in place.
Premier Kenney was clear to emphasize that while the province moves into Phase 2, Albertans must collectively remain diligent about following public health guidelines, including physical distancing, hand washing, wearing masks where appropriate and self-isolating for 14 days when testing positive for COVID-19. AHS can support those who live in dense housing conditions but must self-isolate if needed.
The ABTraceTogether app is still in place to track local outbreaks and inform users if they have come into contact with an individual who has contracted COVID-19. The provincial government continues to urge Albertans to download and use the app to support tracing efforts and limit the spread of the virus.
The provincial government will not extend the state of public health emergency beyond the original expiration date of June 15. Premier Kenney said that it will not be renewed because of the response to control the spread of the pandemic in Alberta. The public health emergency is called independent of the Chief Medical Officer’s orders, so while the emergency is lifted, public health restrictions will remain in place.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided the following update today:
• Two additional deaths have been reported, bringing total deaths across the province to 151; • Twenty-seven new cases, bringing the total to 7,229 of which 356 remain active (60 percent of active cases are from the Calgary zone); • To date, 6,722 people have now recovered which represents 93 per cent of all cases.Our team will continue to provide you with the most update information on the COVID-19 crisis in the weeks to follow. Future updates will be sent when notable announcements are made by government.
