EDMONTON -- Premier Jason Kenney says it’s up to Albertans to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
On Friday, Alberta set records for daily and active COVID-19 cases, as well as hospitalizations.
“Albertans should be deeply concerned about the current trends,” Kenney said Monday. “It’s time for Albertans, for all us, to up our game.”
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'KNOCK IT OFF'
Asked if the government should close businesses and return to similar measures seen in the spring, Kenney instead laid blame on private gatherings after Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw set restrictions of 15 people.
He says he understands young people want to hang out with their friends, but asked, “Please, don’t be selfish.”
“The single biggest thing people could do is just stop with the private parties and the social gatherings. Please respect the 15-person rule. If we did just that alone, we would get this thing under control. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”
In one instance, contact tracers discovered that a number of deaths at a nursing home stemmed from a house party, the premier said.
“As Dr. Hinshaw says, COVID-19 loves parties. If you’re doing that, knock it off,” Kenney said.
But biologist Gosia Gasperowicz told CTV News the government’s current restrictions, and stern words, are not enough.
“I don’t think that by itself it’s possible, just by such a small intervention, to bend the curve.”
Manitoba, which currently has more than 3,000 active COVID-19 cases and a positivity rate of nine per cent in the last five days, entered code red Monday.
NO NEW DATA MONDAY
Alberta Health did not release new COVID-19 numbers Monday because its database website received maintenance this weekend.
Dr. Hinshaw will announce case numbers for Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday on Tuesday afternoon.
Watch her update live at CTVNewsEdmonton.ca.
