Alberta sets records in COVID-19 cases; province tightens restrictions

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As Alberta set a new daily COVID-19 case count record, the UCP government on Thursday announced tighter restrictions for the most populous parts of the province — possibly including curfews.

In the past 24 hours, the province recorded 2,048 new cases of the deadly virus, exceeding the previous record of 1,873 set on Dec. 4 of last year, while also tying the previous high figure for patients in intensive care, at 151.

It also set a record for active cases, at 21,385.

Those numbers, propelled by a surge of more infectious variants, led the province to order grade 7 to 12 students in so-called COVID-19 hot spots in generally larger urban areas to learn from home, while banning all indoor fitness activities and sports. Outdoor activities will be limited to 10 people.

Enforcement of the ban on attending outdoor patios with those outside the household bubble will also be stepped up as will penalties for failing to pay restriction fines, such as a block on renewing vehicle registrations.

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The measures taking effect Friday will apply in areas of the province with active case counts above 350 per 100,000 people, which now include Calgary, Edmonton, Airdrie, Lethbridge, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray and Strathcona County.

They’ll be removed when those areas fall below that case threshold.

Curfews would apply to jurisdictions with active case rates of 1,000 per 100,000 people or more, and where municipalities request it.

Calgary is at 524.5 active cases per 100,000.

Kenney, who on Wednesday rejected the notion of imposing widespread harsher measures, now says tougher targeted restrictions are needed to prevent the health-care system from being swamped.

“We know hospitalizations will continue to go up and this is a problem and impacts anyone who needs care for any reason,” he said.

“The restrictions currently in place will not bend the curve fast enough to get this third wave under control in time for summer . . . at the same time, we will not penalize areas of the province where little or modest spread is occurring.”

While provincial officials say the health-care system can mobilize 425 COVID-19 ICU beds if needed, the system is beginning to fray, said Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

“The strain is growing, that’s why I strongly support the measures announced today,” said Hinshaw, who spoke remotely due to a mild illness determined not to be COVID-19.

“We’ve seen these measures work before.”

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On Tuesday, Alberta Health Services announced it would roll back surgeries by up to 30 per cent in its Edmonton, Calgary and North zones to cope with the COVID-19 surge that killed three more people in the past day, bringing the total number of deaths to 2,075.

Kenney defended his earlier downplaying of sterner restrictions, saying he’s always been in favour of the more targeted measures just announced.

“I’ve been clear from Day 1, Alberta’s approach is not indiscriminately to damage people’s lives and livelihoods, rather to seek a balance,” he said.

But some physicians have argued the province’s effort at gradual mitigation has intensified and lengthened the pandemic in Alberta, and that several weeks of sharp lockdowns would have had better health and economic results.

What was announced Thursday changes little, said Dr. Sidd Thakore, a Calgary pediatrician.

“The measures today seem to be pretty minimal — we haven’t done much more than we did three weeks ago,” said Thakore.

The physician said he’s stunned by the increase in mental-health issues suffered by children and youth — from suicide attempts to eating and pain disorders during the past pandemic year.

“We hadn’t been aggressive enough earlier and it’s prolonged all of this,” said Thakore.

But he said the province and Calgary’s two main school boards are correct in moving instruction online for now.

NDP health critic David Shepherd said the UCP government is flailing with knee-jerk, last-minute decisions.

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“He could have taken steps back in February when he knew these variants were coming . . . he sat on his hands and let it grow,” he said.

“Unfortunately, Albertans are having to pay the price.”

Shepherd called the latest measures “boutique changes” designed to appeal to a UCP base resistant to tougher measures that’s publicly included 17 of their MLAs.

“We have a premier making these decisions based on his own party politics and he allows his MLAs to undermine his chief medical officer of health.”

Meanwhile, the province said Thursday more vaccine help is on the way with the arrival of 650,000 doses.

Starting Friday, Albertans aged 50 to 64 will be eligible for inoculation, as will caregivers of those with risk of severe outcomes, police who interact with prisoners or homeless shelter residents, and parents of medically high-risk children under 12 who are not able to be vaccinated.

First Nations and Métis people aged 35 and older are also eligible.

Appointments can be made by dialing 811 or contacting a participating pharmacy.

On Wednesday, Premier Jason Kenney said about 700,000 doses should be available to Albertans in May and could prove decisive in turning the tide of COVID-19’s third wave.

“That should be a game-changer,” he said.

Kenney said he hopes the newest public health measures and accelerated vaccinations — which now number 1.52 million doses administered — will defeat the variant onslaught in a month.

Bkaufmann@postmedia.com

Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn