Alberta reintroduces restrictions to combat 4th wave of pandemic

By: Thomas I. LiknessEBC News Service


(Eagle News) — The alarm bells have been ringing in Alberta for several weeks now as the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic rages across the province, threatening the ability of the healthcare system to treat patients, and the clanging has finally awakened the government from its political slumber.

Premier Jason Kenney went before Albertans Wednesday night to declare a state of public health emergency, announce new restrictions and a vaccine passport of sorts.

“We are facing an emergency that requires immediate action to save lives and to prevent an ongoing crisis in our health-care system,” Kenney said.

The message that Alberta’s health care system is on the brink of collapse seems to have gotten through to the government.

“Unless we slow transmission, particularly amongst unvaccinated Albertans, we simply will not be able to provide adequate care to everyone who gets sick,” Kenney said. “We may run out of staff and intensive care beds within the next 10 days.”

Doctors and other healthcare professionals have been preaching that message for several weeks.

Triage protocols being readied

The situation is so bad that province is shopping around for places where ICU patients can be sent for treatment. Patients may be sent to other provinces if they can accommodate them.

“We are facing our greatest challenge as a provincial health-care organization at a time when most of us had hoped that this pandemic would be close to over,” said Alberta Health Services CEO Dr. Verna Yiu.

Yiu is also asking other provinces if there is any spare staff that Alberta can borrow to ease the staff shortages.

And she says Alberta hospitals are preparing to use triage protocols, although she says this is a last resort.

“We are doing this because the number of patients needing ICU care continues to rise rapidly,” Yiu said.

The government decided to act following two days of meetings with cabinet and caucus.

Today’s announcement came as the government also announced 24 COVID-19 deaths — the highest daily number yet in the fourth wave.

New restrictions

So here is how things will work.

The vaccine passport, which Kenney calls the restriction exemption program, will allow restaurants bars and nightclubs to operate as usual so long as they ask customers for proof of vaccination or a recent COVID-19 test.

For those who don’t sign on with the program, indoor dining is not allowed. This restriction goes into effect next Monday to allow business time to adapt.

But beginning tomorrow, several other restrictions go into effect.

Indoor social gatherings are limited to a single household plus one other household to a maximum of 10 people. Gatherings are not permitted for unvaccinated people.

Retail facilities will be limited to one-third fire code capacity if they don’t sign on to the vaccine passport.

School students in grades 4 through 12 will have to wear masks.

Mandatory work-from-home orders have been put in place unless it’s essential an employee be at the job site.

Places of worship will have capacity limited to one-third and masks and social distancing will be mandatory.

There are caps on wedding and funeral services. Attendance is mimited to 50 people or 50% of fire code capacity, whichever is less.

Outdoor ceremonies and receptions can have up to 200 people.

Fitness training and sports competitions are allowed but participants must be screened for symptoms and wear a mask when not active.

Spectators are limited to one-third fire code capacity.

There are no restrictions for outdoor activities.
(Eagle News Service)