Alberta to lift COVID-19 restrictions on Canada Day
Having immunized 70 per cent of its eligible population with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Alberta will lift public health restrictions in two weeks, Premier Jason Kenney announced Friday.
"Yesterday, Alberta officially surpassed the 70 per cent vaccination threshold to trigger Stage 3 of Alberta's 'Open for Summer' plan with 70.2 per cent of Albertans receiving their first vaccine dose," he said.
"We did it. You did it."
The premier thanked health care workers and congratulated Albertans on the achievement, saying he never doubted Albertans would "get 'er done in a true Alberta spirit."
"Thanks to vaccines and the millions of Albertans who have been protected by them, we finally have the upper hand on this virus and can safely open up our province," he said, speaking from a river valley viewpoint overlooking downtown Edmonton.
"So mark it on the calendar, folks, on July 1, Alberta isn't just open for summer, but I believe it'll be open for good."
Some COVID-19 rules will remain in place after July 1, such as isolation requirements for confirmed COVID-19 cases and preventative measures in care settings.
"As we approach July 1, I think that Dr. Hinshaw may be making some recommendations for example, limited mask use in certain contexts like…long-term care, continuing care settings, hospitals. She may have some other workplaces where that is called for. She and the department of health are working on a package in that respect," Kenney said.
ACCELERATING SECOND DOSE APPOINTMENTS
As well, Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced the next stage of second-dose eligibility to those who got their first dose in May, which he said was 11 days earlier than planned.
That makes another 1.1 million Albertans eligible for a second dose.
Those who received a first dose in June can book their second four weeks after they got their first shot.
"We are leading the country on second doses," Kenney said. "We're going to be hitting 25 per cent second-dose coverage by the end of this week. I think we'll be pushing 40 per cent second-dose inoculation by around Canada Day."
Following Thursday's advice from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization that anyone who received a first AstraZeneca dose should get an mRNA vaccine for their second shot, like himself, Shandro reminded Albertans the choice in brand is theirs.
However, he said evidence suggests it is best to book the second dose eight weeks after recieving the first AstraZeneca shot: "I want to emphasize that's not because of any concern about the AstraZeneca vaccine or because of supply or anything else, it's because it actually works better if you give it a little longer between those doses."
Both he and Kenney reminded Albertans two out of three $1-million prizes in Alberta's vaccine lottery require proof of full immunization to be claimed.
"First doses have been our ticket out of this pandemic, but second doses will make sure there's no return journey into it," Kenney said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
Unknown Newfoundland soldier from the First World War heads back home from France after 100 years
Canadian soldiers and government officials arrived in northeastern France this week for a historic mission: returning an unknown Newfoundland soldier back home.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
'Somebody's got to pay' for air travel: WestJet makes pitch to Ottawa
WestJet is asking the federal government to put measures in place to lower ticket costs for travellers, but questions remain on who would foot the bill.
Rapper Sean Kingston's home raided by SWAT; mother arrested on fraud and theft charges
A SWAT team raided rapper Sean Kingston's rented South Florida mansion on Thursday and arrested his mother on fraud and theft charges that an attorney says stem partly from the installation of a massive TV at the home.