Alberta 'will consider' relaxing indoor social gathering restrictions for Christmas: Kenney
With December just days away, many Albertans may be wondering if they'll be able to welcome their family over for the holidays.
Though Albertans can currently gather at bars, pubs, coffee shops and restaurants as long as the business is participating in the province’s vaccine passport program, restrictions on indoor social gatherings at people's homes remain in place.
"We've been asking people since the fourth of September not to gather indoors with more than two households – and maximum 10 people – and we thank folks that have carefully followed those rules," Premier Jason Kenney said during a Monday news conference.
Those restrictions are in place for those who are vaccinated; people who aren't vaccinated against COVID-19 are currently not permitted to attend indoor social gatherings.
"We want to make sure that the rules that are in place are rules that the majority of people will follow," the premier added.
Kenney said although no decisions have been made, his government is working to address the upcoming Christmas season.
"As long as ICU pressure continues to abate, we may be in a position to consider something as we move closer to the holidays," Kenney said.
"One key trigger that I've articulated is getting our total ICU pressure below our baseline of about 173 beds. We've made good progress on that thanks to the diligence of Albertans. We are today at, I believe, just over 200 total ICU patients and about 70 with COVID-19.
"So we're now at 115 per cent of ICU capacity and the numbers have been trending in a positive direction, so if that continues – and if we don't see alarming evidence about severe outcomes from Omicron – we will consider some kind of potential modest relaxation of gatherings."
Kenney said he will be speaking on the topic again "at some point in the near future."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Getting the lowest mortgage rates in a high interest rate world
The challenges facing home buyers mean it's all the more important to do research and negotiate on rates, mortgage experts say, though they also caution that there's more to focus on than just what looks like the cheapest upfront option.