By Chris Brown and rdnewsNOW staff

Friday Update

Kenney announces restrictions on dine-in, fitness facilities to be eased on Feb. 8

Jan 29, 2021 | 5:10 PM

Premier Jason Kenney has revealed Alberta’s “Path Forward” to reopening businesses and services in the province.

Kenney said that if collectively Albertans are able to bend the COVID curve and further reduce pressure on the health-care system, public health restrictions can gradually be relaxed.

“But this must be done carefully, slowly and in a way that is driven not by opinions, but by data,” said Kenney. “Alberta’s path forward will be a stepped approach to easing restrictions based on hospitalization benchmarks.”

Step one, which will happen at 600 hospitalizations will include easing of restrictions on outdoor and indoor children’s sports and performance in schools and easing of indoor fitness for adults. Some dine-in options for restaurants, cafes and pubs will also be allowed.

The easing of restrictions will begin on Feb. 8.

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Strict guidelines such as physical distancing restrictions, group size limitations and mask requirements will still be in place.

He said total hospitalizations is the key metric that will guide how and when public health measures will be eased.

Kenney said daily case numbers and growth will guide the potential to pause further relaxations or increase restrictions if the threat of the virus grows again.

If cases surge once again or one of the new viral variants takes hold and spreads at rates seen elsewhere in the world, “we will have to impose stronger restrictions again.”

Kenney said step two will proceed after the weekly average for hospitalizations are below 450. Restrictions for retail, community halls, banquet halls, hotels and conference centres and some further easing of restrictions on children’s sports and performance activities.

Kenney said at least three weeks must elapse between steps so the impacts of each step can be assessed.

Step 3, at a weekly average for hospitalizations of 300, will see restrictions eased on places of worship, adult team sports and indoor social gatherings.

Step 4, at a weekly average for hospitalizations of 150, could put Alberta in a similar position as the summer of 2020. A wide range of indoor and outdoor activities such as wedding and funeral receptions, trade shows, indoor concerts are possible in this stage.

All the steps are based on, “continued adherence to existing public health measures.”

Kenney said moves from one step to another won’t be automatic when benchmarks are reached, but that discussions will take place at each step and Albertans provided as much information as possible.

“The more we see our numbers go down, the clearer our path forward becomes,” said Kenney.

Meantime, Alberta is reporting 543 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total number of active cases in our province now to 7,805 – down 236 from Thursday.

With 11,591 tests conducted over the past 24 hours, the province’s positivity rate is presently 4.5 per cent.

Since the start of the pandemic, 123,364 cases of coronavirus have been identified in Alberta, with 113,939 of those cases recovered – up 765.

As of Jan. 28, 104,327 doses of vaccine have been administered in Alberta.

The number of Albertans in hospital with COVID-19, however, is currently 594, up three from Thursday, while 110 are in ICU, down two from Thursday.

Sadly, 14 additional deaths have also been reported over the past 24 hours, bringing the virus’ death toll in our province now to 1,620.

According to Alberta Health, three of those deaths have been reported in the Central Zone.

They include a female in her 80s on Jan. 27, linked to the outbreak at Seasons Camrose, a male in his 80s on Jan. 28, linked to the outbreak at Vermilion Health Centre – Long Term Care, and a male in his 30s in Red Deer on Jan. 28, bringing the city’s death toll from the virus to 19.

Elsewhere in Red Deer, there are 174 active cases of COVID-19 as of Friday, an increase of two from Thursday.

In Central Zone, there are 692 active cases, down 18 from Thursday. There are 45 people in hospital, down one, and seven in ICU, the same as the day before. Deaths increased to 87.

There are 26 active cases in Red Deer County, down three, and 27 in Sylvan Lake, up five.

Lacombe County has 31, up four, and city of Lacombe has 23, up two.

Ponoka County has 152 active cases, down 20. Mountain View County has 17, down one, Olds has five, down two, and Kneehill County has four, the same as yesterday. County of Stettler also remains steady at four.

More information is at alberta.ca/covid19.