By Troy Gillard

"we need folks to follow the rules"

Kenney says new restrictions coming as Alberta opens vaccines to teachers, education and child care workers

May 3, 2021 | 5:10 PM

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says more public health restrictions are likely to be announced Tuesday as the province begins vaccinating teachers, education and health workers for COVID-19.

Kenney says vaccinations are the ticket to getting out of the pandemic and back to normal but adds that right now it is not enough.

“Given the issues we saw this weekend, and record high cases reported, we are developing a package of stronger public health measures, which I expect to announce tomorrow,” the premier said Monday.

“Cases and hospitalizations are rising faster than our vaccines are arriving. We need to bend the curve in the next few weeks, which means we need folks to follow the rules.”

Kenney says he was angered to see large numbers of people gathered this weekend at an anti-lockdown rodeo event near Bowden. He says the gathering was in flagrant violation of the restrictions in place and of any common sense of the public health measures.

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“That event was organized by people who simply don’t care. Apparently, they don’t care about COVID and apparently, they don’t care about the sacrifices that millions of Albertans are making every single day,” Kenney blasted, also saying it’s astounding so many people in the province still don’t believe that COVID is real or some kind of big government conspiracy or hoax.

“The reason we are at this critical stage of the pandemic in Alberta with record high daily case counts and intensive care numbers is precisely because, for whatever reason, too many Albertans are ignoring the rules we currently have in place.”

The Canadian Professional Rodeo Association issued a statement Monday distancing itself from the event and saying it is working with the province on a safe return for the sport of rodeo.

Kenney implored Albertans to take the pandemic seriously, warning that the actions of Albertans in the next few weeks will determine whether we get a summer of lighter restrictions and low spread thanks to vaccines or stuck still battling spread of the virus.

“If you choose to ignore the restrictions… just know that you’re setting everyone back. And we all want to see this pandemic over,” Kenney said.

Alberta teachers, early childhood educators and support staff can start booking COVID-19 vaccine appointments starting Tuesday (May 4).

All certificated teachers actively teaching in kindergarten through Grade 12 are eligible, including those public, separate, francophone, charter, private/independent/ECS operators, and First Nations schools, substitute teachers, administrators and other certified teachers working in separate roles. This includes support workers, such as educational assistants, bus drivers, custodians and others who support schools.

Currently, 808 Alberta schools, about 33 per cent, are on alert or have COVID outbreaks, with 5,358 cases in total. 458 schools are on alert, with 1,073 total cases. Outbreaks are declared in 350 schools, with a total of 4,285 cases. In-school transmission has likely occurred in 678 schools. Of these, 251 have had only one new case occur as a result.

Also starting May 4, certified early childhood educators and support staff province-wide can begin booking appointments. This includes all staff working in licensed child care programs, including day cares, out of school care programs, preschools and family day homes.

Bookings will operate on the honour system. No proof of employment is required when eligible individuals attend their appointment.

(With file from Chris Brown – CHAT News Today)