Alberta adjusts COVID gathering limits ahead of Christmas

The Alberta government is adjusting COVID-19 gathering rules ahead of Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations.

NEW:

Alberta will ease gathering restrictions.

– two household cohort removed
– children under 18 do not count to 10 person cap
– Unvaccinated people can now gather under these rules#yeg #yyc #ableg #Covid19ab pic.twitter.com/wf3Bq1e1CB

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) December 15, 2021

Both vaccinated and unvaccinated Albertans will be able to gather with up to 10 adults from other households for holiday events. There are no limits on how many households can gather beyond the 10-person limit.

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Children under 17 won’t count against the 10-person limit.

Outdoor gatherings are still capped at 20 people, regardless of vaccination status.

Premier Jason Kenney says most Albertans want to do the right thing and help prevent and limit COVID’s spread, so his government opted to make “modest changes” to allow all Albertans, vaccinated and unvaccinated, to celebrate the holidays responsibly.

Premier Kenney on decisions made today with COVID:

"If the message here today was we're cancelling Xmas, stay home, you're not allowed out, and we're putting a cop on every corner, I think people would tell us to take a hike."#yeg #yyc #ableg #Covid19ab

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) December 15, 2021

“We wish that we could further relax these and other public health measures–I was very much hoping to do so before Christmas–but regrettably what we are expecting in terms of Omicron spread requires that we be cautious and prudent in the weeks to come,” Kenney said.

“I encourage everyone to stay cautious and enjoy the holiday season safely. And that means staying home if you’re feeling sick and getting tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19.”

Kenney says that Alberta has seen widespread compliance in terms of indoor gathering limits, and that mixed with vaccine uptake has lead the government to feel it is safe to adjust the rules for the holidays.

Premier Kenney asked why would we risk a devastating outcome by letting more households gather together over the holidays.

Kenney rejected the premise of the question, saying Alberta still has the strictest gathering limits. #yeg #Yyc #ableg #COvid19ab pic.twitter.com/SgCycnT8Ya

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) December 15, 2021

For those planning Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw says hosts and attendees should consider adding additional measures to balance the holiday fun and COVID safety.

“With indoor gatherings, some additional options to reduce risk include things like asking guests to wear a mask when they’re not eating or drinking, arranging seating during meals to maximize the distance between households, increasing your air ventilation whenever possible, having guests who are more susceptible to severe outcomes of COVID-19 including those who are older than 65 are hearing uncompromised,” Hinshaw said.

“Consider wearing a medical facemask while at the indoor gathering. And, of course, ensure that anyone in the crowd [with symptoms, even mild ones] not attend the gathering.”

She also encourages hosts who may end up not feeling well ahead of their planned events cancel or postpone their celebrations.

With the newest highly-mutated and highly-contagious variant in mind, Kenney said Alberta Health Services and Alberta Health are shoring up surge capacity in the ICUs in the event there’s a dramatic impact on the healthcare system.