Barnes wants to see restrictions regionalized

Kenney said officials need to see what impact the holidays had on testing and case numbers before health measures can be lifted.

Case numbers remain high in the Calgary and Edmonton Zones, where more than 75 per cent of Alberta’s active cases are.

In Medicine Hat, the number of active cases is 37 as of Thursday, down from 65 just before Christmas. There are currently six active cases in Cypress County and one in Forty Mile.

With numbers like that Barnes sees no reason not to lift restrictions in the region.

“It makes sense where we have a little bit more room where we have the ability to conduct ourselves with a little more distance, it makes sense for us to be able to participate in the economy. Regionalization is very important,” Barnes said.

He’s pushed for that with messages to the premier, his caucus colleagues and on social media.

“My message hasn’t changed since the end of April when it was clear that regionalization could be a way to keep the economy going.”

A more regional approach to restrictions isn’t the only change Barnes would like to see.

“I’ve been calling for a safe approach versus an essential versus non-essential approach,” he said.

He said most business owners have gone to great lengths to operate their business safely and protect each other and protect their customers. He wants those businesses to be able to open and points to Saskatchewan as an example.

“Restaurants and gyms are open there. Gyms with the cleaning and the protocols, restaurants with the same. I’d like to see the same thing, a safe approach for businesses to reopen in Alberta.”

Barnes adds opening the economy and loosening gathering rules will also benefit people’s mental health. He says people can also reach out to one another and encourages them to call on Ottawa to help get the oil and gas sector moving.

“You know the mental health effects that all of Alberta has seen but particularly Cypress-Medicine Hat,” he said. “The mental health crisis is as bad as the COVID crisis and we have to get this right.”

Brooks-Medicine Hat MLA Michaela Glasgo was surprised and saddened by the extension of the restrictions and also believes a more regional approach is needed.

She said the data that southern Alberta’s numbers continue to drop.

Glasgo adds she’s hearing from a wide swath of her constituents that it’s time to reopen.

“My constituents are telling me that they’re worried about making it through another two weeks,” she said. “They have several young mothers and young families on payroll. They have people who need income security, people who need certainty in their next paycheque.”

Glasgo credited the premier for committing to one week’s notice on future changes to the measures.

by Chris Brown

Barnes wants to see restrictions regionalized

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