COVID-19 threat will remain long after Stage 3 starts: Kenney
COVID-19 will continue to be a threat in Alberta for months — and possibly years — after the province reaches the 70 per cent vaccination benchmark to remove health restrictions, Premier Jason Kenney said Monday.
And even after the province reopens, we will still see seasonal spikes of the disease, he warned.
Speaking to reporters about the Open For Summer Lottery — which will see three $1-million prizes awarded in the coming months to Albertans who have been vaccinated — Kenney said the first of three draws will be made on the first day of Stage 3, but that won't mean an end to the pandemic.
"As Dr. (Deena) Hinshaw has said, COVID is not going away," he said.
"It's not going away at Phase 3. It will probably continue to be a healthcare issue for many years to come, just like the Spanish flu was for 30-plus years after its deadly phase. So we can expect to see COVID and different variant strains ricochet around the world and around our province for years to come, just like other contagious diseases do."
According to Kenney on Monday, about 48,300 more people need to receive a first dose before Alberta reaches its 70 per cent benchmark. According to the latest data, 68.7 per cent of the eligible population had been vaccinated with at least one dose.
Kenney added the goal of provincial health measures and mandates over the last 16 month was to stop the province's healthcare system from being overwhelmed.
"We've never been chasing after zero, people will continue to contract COVID," he said.
"There will be seasonal spikes. I guarantee you there will be one this fall, probably starting in mid-October, and some of those people will end up in hospital. Sadly, some of those people will pass away, just as we have dozens of people who die every year from the conventional flu.
"These are different diseases, COVID is more dangerous, but we also have much wider protection in terms of vaccines."
As the province's readies to move from Stage 2 to Stage 3 — when all health measures will be removed, two weeks after 70 per cent of Albertans age 12 and up have received a first shot — Kenney said officials are keeping a close eye on spread of the B.1.617 (Delta) variant, first identified in India.
An outbreak of the variant is ongoing at Foothills hospital in Calgary.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.