City evaluating scenarios before potential changes to COVID-19 restrictions

We will most likely know early next week about the fate of provincial COVID-19 restrictions and rules such as the vaccine passport.

Premier Jason Kenney followed up on previous statements from himself and his caucus to say the adjustments would be made very soon.

“As COVID changes, our response to it must change as well,” he said. “Early next week we will announce a firm date to end the (restrictions exemption program) and to do so in the very near future. We will also lay out a simple, phased plan to remove almost all public health restrictions later this month.”

Kenney said this decision would hinge on data such as the rate of hospitalizations in Alberta.

There is growing pressure from within to make the changes, including his caucus saying the vaccine passport rule would be removed “within days” and cabinet minister Jason Nixon promising to push the premier to make imminent adjustments.

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While this means we would not have to show a QR code before entering a restaurant, it wouldn’t immediately change local rules such as Calgary’s mask bylaw.

A statement from the city’s chief of the emergency management agency says they are looking at how to respond.

“The City is currently working through multiple scenarios depending on what actions the provincial government decides to take and when, balanced with the decisions in the best interests of our Calgary community,” said Sue Henry. “The Vaccine Passport Bylaw will end automatically when the Province’s Restrictions Exemption Program is ended by the Chief Medical Officer of Health. The Face Covering Bylaw will not be affected.”

Council is due to meet on Feb. 15 where this will likely be a point of discussion.

There could also be a possibility the city enacts its own vaccine passport bylaw, which is currently allowed under the Municipal Government Act. However, Kenney said he would move to make some changes if that did become more likely.

Here's the full question and answer from Premier Kenney where he says he would take a look at amending the Municipal Government Act to prevent municipalities from implementing their own mask or vaccine mandates. #yeg #Yyc #ableg #Covid19ab pic.twitter.com/ohkO0DIf4x

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) February 4, 2022

“If the province moves ahead safely to broadly lift our public health measures, but we have municipal politicians improvising their own local policies, I think that would be a matter of great concern,” Kenney said.

There are over 1,500 people in hospital with COVID-19 around Alberta, and over 100 in intensive care. Hospitalization numbers have stayed mostly steady over the past week, with data from wastewater also indicating we may be past the peak of cases fuelled by the surge of omicron infections.

As of Friday, 86.1 per cent of Albertans aged 12 and up are fully vaccinated, with over 8 million doses administered throughout the province.