Alberta reported 2,048 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, the highest single-day total since the pandemic began. (AHS)

There are new restrictions and protections in place for the next two weeks. The variants and people who refuse to follow safety protocols are driving our numbers up. With the number of beds available to care for seriously ill patients, Alberta’s hotspots, including Edmonton, are in danger of lacking the resources and rooms to care for so many sick people. Please have a look at the restrictions below and show love for your neighbours by following these protocols:

The latest on restrictions and reopenings:

  • Starting Friday, the provincial government will implement new public-health measures in hot spots across the province where there are more than 350 active cases per 100,000 people and at least 250 total active cases, Premier Jason Kenney announced Thursday.
  • The list of targeted communities includes Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Airdrie, Lethbridge, and Strathcona County.
  • All junior and senior high schools in the targeted communities will move to at-home learning starting Monday, though some had already shifted to online learning.
  • Indoor fitness and indoor sports will be shut down in these communities, effective Friday – this includes all seniors’ activity centres.
  • The mandatory restrictions will remain in effect for a minimum of two weeks, Kenney said. 
  • People who are ticketed for failing to comply with health measures now risk being unable to renew their driver’s licences or complete other transactions at registry services if they don’t pay their fines, the premier also announced Friday.
  • The province plans to start easing COVID-19 restrictions at long-term care centres on May 10, allowing each resident to designate up to four friends or family members as visitors.  Kenney said hospitalizations in those facilities have decreased by 93 per cent since active cases in care homes peaked in December. This is because the residents have been vaccinated with at least one jab and in most cases both shots.
  • Alberta is cutting back scheduled surgeries in its two major cities and the northern part of the province to make room for a possible influx of COVID-19 hospitalizations.
  • Alberta Health Services (AHS) said beginning April 27 and for the next two weeks, up to 30 per cent of surgeries in the Calgary, Edmonton and North zones would be postponed, as well as some non-urgent procedures and ambulatory appointments.