Alberta makes ‘very modest’ changes to COVID-19 gathering rules ahead of holidays | Globalnews.ca

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced very minor changes to indoor gathering rules Wednesday, ahead of the holidays. In addition, the premier announced an expansion to the province’s rapid test and booster programs.

While the province is not increasing the number of people who can gather indoors — a maximum of 10 adults — the limit to the number of households who can gather indoors has been removed.

Effective immediately, indoor gatherings remain capped at 10 people, but those people can be from as many households as desired. Children and youth 17 and under do not count toward the 10-person limit, Kenney said.

In addition, the indoor gathering rule now applies to all Albertans regardless of their vaccination status. Up until now, unvaccinated Albertans were not allowed to gather indoors.

“We believe this is a reasonable, very modest change,” Kenney said.

The premier said the province is taking a modest approach amid emerging, but still limited, evidence about the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

“We are closely monitoring developments around the Omicron variant and are taking immediate action to protect Albertans and slow the spread in our province,” Kenney said.

“We strongly encourage Albertans to do their part to address the threat of Omicron by getting a booster dose, using rapid tests when appropriate and following Alberta’s public health guidelines.”

Kenney also announced the expansion of the rapid testing program in Alberta.

Starting Friday, every Albertan will be able to pick up a free rapid antigen test kit. The kits include five rapid test and detailed instructions on how to use them. The premier said these kits will add an additional level of protection against COVID-19 for Albertans mixing and mingling this holiday season.

Up to 500,000 rapid testing kits will be available at more than 700 sites across Alberta on a first-come, first-served basis, Kenney said.

The kits will be available at select Alberta Health Services sites and pharmacies. More information on where to pick up tests can be found on the province’s website.

Kenney said the kits are intended to be used by those without COVID-19 symptoms. Those who test positive need to immediately isolate and get a PCR COVID-19 test done at an AHS assessment centre.

In addition, Kenney said rapid testing kits will be made available to any K-6 school on alert status, meaning two cases of COVID-19 attended school while infectious in the previous 14 days.

“These testing kits will provide an extra layer of defence,” Kenney said.

Also Wednesday, Kenney announced that effective immediately, anyone 50 and older can book an appointment for their third dose of COVID-19 vaccine, as long as six months have passed since they received their second dose.

In addition, all health-care workers are also now eligible to book an appointment for their booster as long as six months have passed since they received their second dose.

“Boosters help to provide an extra but important layer of protection against the virus,” Kenney said.

This expansion means about two million Albertans have either already received or are eligible to book appointments for a third dose of vaccine.

Kenney said the province currently has about 475,000 Pfizer and Moderna doses in its inventory and about 64,000 appointments booked in the next 28 days. However, the premier stressed that appointments only make up about a third of the doses being handed out, as some are being administered to those who walk in for a shot.

Kenney said this means that the province does not currently have enough vaccine doses in its inventory to open up booster shots to every eligible Albertan.

The premier said he asked the prime minister during a call Tuesday evening for more vaccine doses, as well as rapid testing kits be sent to provinces.

COVID-19 data Wednesday

Due to the early news conference Wednesday, daily COVID-19 data was not yet available. COVID-19 data will be added here once it is released Wednesday afternoon.

At 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, the state of public health emergency that went in place in September lapsed. Kenney said the province will be watching the COVID-19 situation very closely and if officials have to take additional action, they will do so.

Kenney, Health Minister Jason Copping and chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw were originally set to speak at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. That news conference was then pushed back to 5 p.m., before being postponed after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a nation-wide call with all premiers late in the afternoon to discuss the Omicron variant of COVID-19.