Alberta looking at possible 'modest relaxation' of indoor gathering rules ahead of Christmas
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says meetings Thursday and next week will determine whether indoor private gathering rules will be eased ahead of Christmas.
"Albertans have been very patient, they got this fourth wave under control," Kenney said to journalists Wednesday.
"That's why we will be looking at some more potential modest relaxation of measures going towards Christmas, but we'll be looking at all the different data in making that decision."
Indoor social gatherings in Alberta are currently limited to two households, to a maximum of 10 vaccinated individuals. The limit does not apply to children under the age of 12.
Unvaccinated Albertans are not supposed to have any indoor gatherings at all, according to the rules updated in October. But the premier acknowledges that some people will just choose not to abide by the rules, whatever they are.
"You can have a hardcore lockdown on paper, but if nobody observes the rules, it doesn't matter at all," he said.
"That is why we've always tried to be mindful of the where the public is at in terms of their willingness broadly to comply with public health rules and guidelines."
IMPACTS OF THE OMICRON VARIANT
Just last week, Dr. Deena Hinshaw warned it was not the right time to ease gathering rules. Health officials across the globe are trying to determine what the impacts of the Omicron variant will have on health-care systems.
"Even though our numbers have come down from their peak, when it comes to hospital and ICU capacity, we need to make sure we’re looking very closely at our system capacity, potential impacts if there were to be increased transmission from easing measures," Dr. Hinshaw said on Tuesday.
Kenney says Alberta's cabinet committee that decides on rules and guidelines meets on Thursday and next Tuesday. At that point, more information on whether rules will be relaxed before Christmas will be released.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
NEW 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire': A crowd pleaser that turns it up to 11
Hot on the heels of last year's 'Godzilla Minus One' comes 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' the first ever Academy Award winner in the giant reptile's decades-long film career.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.