'We simply cannot afford a repeat scenario': Kenney says no indoor Thanksgiving dinners for unvaccinated Albertans

EDMONTON -

The province is reminding Albertans to follow public health restrictions on gathering limits as Thanksgiving is less than a week away.

“Indoor gatherings last Thanksgiving sparked the second wave of COVID with cases and hospitalizations surging after millions of Albertans celebrated in close contact with loved ones,” said Premier Jason Kenney.

“We simply cannot afford a repeat scenario, not with this dangerous Delta variant that is still circulating and with our hospitals under such severe pressure.”

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, even asked Albertans who are vaccinated to celebrate outside if they could. The province announced Tuesday that the limit on outdoor gatherings was being lowered from 200 to 20.

“Indoor gatherings are still not permitted for those who are unvaccinated,” said Hinshaw. “Don’t have any indoor gatherings unless you are 100 per cent sure everyone is fully vaccinated, and even then it must be no more than 10 people 12 and over from two households.”

Albertans have been making an effort to increase the vaccination rate, according to Kenney.

“If millions of people get together like it’s a normal Thanksgiving in intimate indoor family gatherings in homes, especially folks who are unvaccinated, we will likely see all the progress that has been made lost overnight and we could see a significant spike back up in cases,” said Kenney.

Hinshaw and the premier cited growing concerns about the situations in hospitals as reasons to not risk spreading COVID-19 to friends and family.

“Every person’s actions can potentially lead to a chain of transmission that can cause death, hospitalization or long COVID,” said Hinshaw. “Your actions have never mattered more and they will make a difference.”