Jason Kenney admits there’s no COVID emergency in Alberta

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced that he plans to ease restrictions just in time for the holidays — tacitly admitting there’s no COVID emergency in Alberta.

Thomas Lambert

December 13, 2021


On Friday, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced that he plans to ease restrictions just in time for the holidays — tacitly admitting there’s no COVID emergency in Alberta.

“I’ll be gathering with three family members, we’re all fully vaccinated, come from three households, only four people. But we wouldn’t be able to do that based on the current rules,” Kenney explained Friday.

Kenney says that his decision to relax restrictions comes as ICU admissions across the province shrink, with Alberta seeing only 70 COVID patients on Wednesday.

He said the new goal should be to reach 173 ICU admissions, whereas the province currently has 183.

“That number is important because that allows us to go to 100 per cent of surgical capacity. We no longer have to set aside beds for COVID patients, for example,” he continued.

In other words, there’s no COVID emergency in Alberta.

Kenney says the changes to restrictions will be a “modest, common-sense relaxation.” He is expected to clarify what this means on Tuesday.

All of this sounds great, but Kenney didn’t mention anything about fully returning to normal any time soon. Indeed, he went so far as to say there’ll be a fifth wave of COVID at some point that will put a strain on health care; thus, out of fear, Albertans just can’t go back to normal.

“I don’t want to create a situation where we have millions of Albertans violating the rules when we’re not in a current emergency situation,” Kenney said.

“We do expect there will be future waves. There will be a fifth wave at some point.”

With this in mind, Kenney claims that he won’t allow Alberta to become a totalitarian police state, singling out Australia as an example not to follow.

“We’re not a police state. Unlike Australia and other places, we are not going to put a cop on every corner to check people’s papers,” he said.

Support our work

Share this story

Help Keep your News Free

Share this story

It's crucial we stay in touch

Big Tech wants to censor us, that’s why you need to stay in touch.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THESE...

Trending News

Speaking before the House Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the carbon tax not just reckless but “immoral” and “inhumane”.

TCS Wire

March 28, 2024

Trending News

The latest Abacus poll shows the United Conservative Party (UCP) a commanding 15 points ahead of the NDP in Alberta.

TCS Wire

March 28, 2024

Trending News

The number of CRA employees terminated for wrongfully claiming CERB at the height of the lockdowns has risen to 232.

TCS Wire

March 27, 2024

Trending News

In a supposed show of solidarity for the LGBT community, the Calgary Unitarian Church is hosting an all-ages drag show for their Easter services this year.

TCS Wire

March 26, 2024

Trending News

A young autistic woman receives approval for Medical Assistance in Dying despite her father’s wishes against it.

Alexa Posa

March 25, 2024

Trending News

Following the recently revealed cancer diagnosis of Kate Middleton (just 42), many have speculated that there seems to be an increasing number of young, otherwise healthy people being diagnosed with cancer and dying since the vaccine rollout. And studies say they’re not wrong.

TCS Wire

March 25, 2024

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website.