By Chris Brown

Vaccine eligibility for all over 12 by Monday

Madu promises enforcement against COVID-19 rule-breakers

May 5, 2021 | 10:41 AM

Concrete action is needed to address public health threats and health system strain being caused by those who defy the efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19, says Justice Minister and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu.

“Enforcement will be done and Albertans will see it being done,” he said.

He said a small few refuse to comply with “reasonable and legitimate public health orders.”

A new enforcement protocol will target complex and flagrant cases of non-compliance by individuals, organizations and businesses.

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Madu says it will draw upon the expertise of local police services as well as AHS AGLC, prosecutors and OHS.

“Some cases may require further investigations and some may trigger various enforcement powers such as fines or revoking of licenses,” said Madu.

Fines for Public Health Act violations are being doubled from $1,000 to $2,000.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro called Alberta’s new public health measures tough but absolutely necessary.

“We need to get this wave of COVID cases under control once and for all and ease the strain on our health-care system,” he said.

Premier Jason Kenney said that based on current trends the health-care system would be overwhelmed about one month from now.

There are 150 COVID patients in ICU beds and another 60 non-COVID ICU patients. In a typical year there are 190 ICU beds in the province, Kenney said.

The current load is being managed but that can’t continue with the current growth rates.

“It would take us to 30,000 total active cases by the middle of May. It would take us to 40,000 total active cases by the end of the month,” said Kenney, adding based on ratios that would put more than 300 COVID patients in ICU by early June.

Two months ago there were about 4,700 active cases and today almost there are close to 24,000.

The restrictions announced Tuesday include online learning for all K-12 schools from May 7-25, and closing personal services and restaurant patios and new limits on outdoor gatherings and funerals for at least three weeks. Some of those restrictions are in effect now, others will be at the end of day Sunday.

“They will work,” said Shandro. “We bent the curve in December and we can bend it one last time here in Alberta.”

Kenney said there are no specific benchmarks for lessening the measures after the three-week period. He said they’ll be watching for a period of sustained decline in average daily new cases and total active daily cases.

Vaccines will be key to those measures.

“When we believe it is prudent to move forward, we will do knowing that the vaccine is helping to interrupt chains of transmission and keeping people out of hospitals,” he added.

At the start of the news conference, Kenney announced that every Albertan over the age of 12 will be eligible to receive a vaccine by next Monday.

“This is a major milestone in our vaccine rollout and it comes right when we need it most,” said Kenney.

On Wednesday, Health Canada approved the Pfizer vaccine for people as young as 12 years old.

Starting on May 6 booking will be open to all Albertans age 30 and older through AHS or pharmacies. On May 10 bookings will open to those age 12 and older.

The government says that amounts to about 3.7 million Albertans.

Kenney says based on the expected supply this entire phase of vaccinations will be complete by the end of June.

On schools, the number of students and staff quarantining, substitute teacher shortages and requests from schools to move to online learning have increased substantially in recent days, said Education Minister Adriana LaGrange.

“The operational stresses on the education system need to be addressed given that provincial community spread continues to climb and we know that cases in schools are a further reflection of what’s happening in our community,” she said.

Kenney also said the province is continuing with its SMERG financial aid program and is still partnering with the federal government on other programs but did not announce any new aid for businesses.

“My hope is that if people really get the message here and act responsibly, that this really hopefully can be a short-term, last time set of public health restrictions and those businesses can get back to a decent summer,” he said. “That is our hope and the vaccines are on our side in getting there.”