Biologist calls for return of restrictions to Alberta as B.C. reintroduces pandemic measures
While health officials in British Columbia are taking emergency action as COVID-19 case numbers continue to climb, Alberta has made no changes to its health protocols amid a strengthening fourth wave.
Some of the pandemic numbers are comparably worse in Alberta over B.C.
According to data released Tuesday, Alberta added 629 new cases after about 6,000 tests while B.C. added 641 cases after almost double the number of tests.
Alberta currently has 7,931 active case while B.C. has 5,357
There are more Albertans being treated for COVID-19 in hospital with 258 patients compared to 138 British Columbians. However, there are 78 patients in B.C. intensive care units and 57 in Alberta's.
FACE MASK RULES RETURN TO B.C.
B.C. has reintroduced its mask mandate for all public indoor settings effective Wednesday.
The new rule applies to everyone over the age of 12 with a recommendation, not a requirement for children between the ages of two and 12. Previous health exemptions apply.
B.C. announced Monday that vaccination cards will be utilized for discretionary social settings like restaurants, casinos and shows, with the first phase of the plan slated to begin Sept. 13.
Alberta only requires masks on transit, taxis or health care settings.
Premier Jason Kenney has previous publicly stated he is not in favour of introducing vaccine passports.
DEMAND FOR ACTION IN ALBERTA
Several Alberta scientists say the province of Alberta should bring back some restrictions.
University of Calgary developmental biologist and researcher Gosia Gasperowicz says, with the exception of the number of people dying, Alberta is in the worst wave since the onset of the pandemic in virtually all aspects.
Alberta's daily cases are doubling every 14 days and she predicts that, at this rate, Alberta will reach 2,000 daily cases by Sept. 11 and 4,000 daily cases by Sept. 25.
She also predicts that intensive care units in Alberta will reach patient capacity by the middle of next month.
Gasperowicz is calling on the government to bring back some health restrictions to prevent further deaths and severe outcomes or wait for certain metrics to get worse.
Alberta is expected to remove virtually all remaining measures in late September, a delay of the original plan to lift virtually all testing, tracing and isolating measures by Aug. 16.
There's been no word from the province on whether or not additional protocols will be put in place before then.
Alberta's next COVID-19 data release is expected Wednesday afternoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Minnesota grocery store clerk dies after customer impales him with a golf club, police say
A Minneapolis store clerk died after a customer beat him and impaled him with a golf club, police said. The 66-year-old clerk was attacked Friday at the Oak Grove Grocery, a small neighborhood store in a residential area near downtown Minneapolis. A 44-year-old suspect is jailed on suspicion of murder.
B.C. Amber Alert cancelled, 2-month-old child found safe
Mounties in Surrey, B.C., say the two-month-old child who was the subject of an Amber Alert Saturday afternoon has been found safe.
Shohei Ohtani agrees to record $700 million, 10-year contract with Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani has opted to stay in southern California, and the Toronto Blue Jays have missed out on landing a generational talent.
6 dead, nearly 2 dozen injured after severe storms tear through central Tennessee
Severe storms that tore through central Tennessee killed six people Saturday and sent about two dozen to the hospital as homes and businesses were damaged in multiple cities.
A pregnant Texas woman asked a court for permission to get an abortion, despite a ban. What's next?
Kate Cox, a mother of two in Texas, became pregnant again in August but soon after learned devastating news: Her baby has a fatal condition and is likely to either be stillborn or die shortly after birth.
Every phone call is a goodbye, says Vancouver resident with family in Gaza
Omar Mansour says every phone call with his family in the Gaza Strip might be the last.
Mideast ministers in Ottawa to discuss Israel-Hamas war with Joly, Trudeau
A group of foreign ministers from the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are in Ottawa today for a quietly planned meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly to discuss attempts to end the Israel-Hamas war.
Ibrahim Ali found guilty of killing 13-year-old girl in B.C.
A jury has found Ibrahim Ali guilty of killing a 13-year-old girl whose body was found in a Burnaby, B.C., park in 2017.
Nuclear fission may play key role in the creation of heavy elements when neutron stars collide: study
New scientific models are suggesting that nuclear fission may play a key role in the creation of heavy elements in the universe—which, if true, would be the first example of nuclear fission occurring in space.