Premier Jason Kenney. (Government of Alberta)

By Troy Gillard

Alberta in "significant new wave"

Kenney pleads for COVID-safe activities over Easter long weekend

Apr 1, 2021 | 4:14 PM

Premier Jason Kenney says there will be no easing of public health restrictions in Alberta for the Easter Long Weekend.

“I had hoped to be able to tell you that we had turned a corner in our fight against COVID-19, that the spread of the disease had slowed, and that we could all gather around the table with extended family and friends to celebrate Easter, Passover, Vaisakhi, or just to enjoy the spring break,” the premier said Thursday.

“Unfortunately, we’re not in that situation today.”

Kenney is once again urging Albertans to follow COVID-19 guidelines this weekend to help reduce transmission of the virus.

There were, however, no new restrictions announced.

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He says the province is in the midst of a “significant new wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Thursday’s update, 875 new cases were confirmed across the province (out of 13,610 tests for a positivity rate of 6.4 per cent), 322 of which were variants. This is the second day in a row that new infections in Alberta surpassed 800.

Hospitalizations crept up over 300 in yesterday’s report and fell to 292 today, including 59 in ICUs.

Four more deaths were reported over the past 24 hours to bring Alberta’s total from COVID-19 to 1,994.

“With [8,653] active cases and a ratio of those cases at six per cent end up in hospital, we know with great certainty that we will have close to 500 COVID patients in hospital just two weeks from now. If growth continues at its current pace, that will turn into about 1,000 people in hospital about a month from now and so on.”

Kenney says stat holidays like Easter have proven to be breeding grounds for COVID-19 as more people gather closely together despite the public health measures in place.

“Our last wave began, clearly, right after Thanksgiving when Albertans gathered indoors and around the table to celebrate with food, drinks, and conversations. Our contact tracing data confirms clearly that these kinds of activities – at home indoor socializing – are by far the most responsible for spreading COVID-19.”

Indoor social gatherings are currently prohibited in the province but those who live alone can have two close contacts with them.

Outdoor social gatherings with up to 10 people are permitted.

A full list of COVID-19 restrictions in Alberta can be found here.

Red Deer’s active case count rose by two on Thursday to 209.

Recoveries are up to 2,899, an increase of 14 as the total number of COVID-19 cases attributed to Red Deer rose by 18 to 3,142.

Elsewhere locally as of Thursday:

Red Deer County – 31 active cases (+2)

Sylvan Lake – 30 (-1)

Lacombe County – 41 (-3)

City of Lacombe – 34 (–)

Ponoka County – 148 (+23)

Brazeau County – 16 (–)

Clearwater County – 8 (-2)

Mountain View County – 25 (+5)

Olds – 21 (+4)

Kneehill County – 12 (–)

County of Stettler – 6 (-1)

The Central Zone as a whole has 741 active cases as of Thursday, with 31 people in hospital, including four in the ICU at Red Deer Regional Hospital. The zone has had 122 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

653,010 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta. There are now 103,926 Albertans fully vaccinated with two doses.

(With file from David Opinko – Lethbridge News Now)