Alberta has eliminated the two-household rule for social gatherings for those who are vaccinated, and now unvaccinated Albertans are also allowed to gather under the same rules.
“Until today, Alberta was the only province to prohibit indoor socializing or gatherings of unvaccinated individuals which we have concluded is leading to widespread non-compliance. Now with 90 per cent of adults having some level of vaccine protection, we believe it is no longer necessary,” said Premier Jason Kenney at a press conference on Wednesday morning.
Effective immediately, a maximum of 10 adults can gather indoors with no limit on the the number of households involved. There is no limit on the number of youth or children that can attend.
The outdoor social gathering capacity remains at 20 people, regardless of vaccination status.
Kenney said eliminating the household limit over the holidays still means Alberta has the strictest rules for indoor gatherings in Canada.
“We would not be taking this measure if we thought it represented any significant additional risk.”
He said the reality is that families are going to gather at Christmas and this is a more realistic approach.
“We have to be mindful, after 21 months of this, of the willingness of the public to actually comply with the rules. Rules on paper that are not observed by the public are meaningless, pointless and just undermine confidence in the public health measures.”
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The province said it is also taking immediate action to protect people and the health-care system against the highly transmissible Omicron variant by giving all Albertans access to free rapid tests starting Dec. 17, and by expanding vaccine boosters starting Dec. 15 to Albertans age 50 and older and all health-care workers who have had their second dose six months ago or longer.
The at-home rapid testing program through schools is also being expanded.
When Kenney was asked about the potential impact of Omicron on the World Junior Hockey Championships that starts Dec. 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, he said while the federal government may soon be modifying travel protocols, limited travel exemptions have been made for major sports events during the pandemic.
He said Alberta’s exemption program, requiring spectators to have two vaccines or a negative COVID test result, has also worked well for many large events.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw encouraged eligible Albertans to take advantage of the increased protection that third doses offer, even if they have had a previous COVID-19 infection. Vaccines remain the most effective tool against COVID-19.
She said Omicron is more transmissible, and causes more break-through infections in people with two vaccine doses or those previously infected.
“Early evidence indicates that it may be less likely to cause severe outcomes than previous variants. But with a much larger number of people being infected much more quickly, the overall impact on ICUs is still rising in other parts of the world where omicron is spreading fast,” Hinshaw said.
She said there is a very real risk of a significant fifth wave with this new variant that could be worse than previous waves in terms of overall impact to the health system due to sheer volume of cases.
“We simply don’t know yet.”
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NDP leader Rachel Notley rejected the premier’s assertion that restrictions should be loosened for unvaccinated Albertans at the same time that there is a significant risk of a fifth wave.
“Our healthcare system is still in crisis. The situation on the ground in our ICUs is urgent and highly pressurized. Tens of thousands of Albertans have already had their surgeries canceled or missed out on life-saving treatment or early-diagnosis because of the strain this pandemic has placed on our hospitals. We cannot risk this situation worsening,” Notley said in a statement.
“We call on the premier to release modeling like B.C. has done, and to establish an independent science advisory body who will help to ensure transparent, evidenced-based decision making. Albertans must be given both information and reasons to trust their provincial leadership.”
Albertans will be able to pick up a free BTNX rapid test kit from 700 select pharmacies in Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer, and 140 select Alberta Health Services sites in other communities. To find a location, visit alberta.ca/CovidRapidTests. As more tests become available from Health Canada, more locations will be added.
Kits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure as many Albertans have access as possible, there is a limit of one box of tests within a 14-day period per person. Albertans can pick up one additional box for another person(s) who cannot pick one up themselves provided they have each individual’s health care number.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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