On May 26, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced a three-part plan to reopen the province’s economy and fully ease COVID-19 public health restrictions by as early as July.
The plan has already begun, with restrictions loosened on outdoor gatherings, restaurants, personal wellness services and retail businesses on June 1. Stage 2, which would allow for similar conditions Albertans experienced last summer, is anticipated to begin by mid-June. Stage 3 would see virtually all public health restrictions lifted, and could come into effect by early July.
The plan is contingent on both vaccination percentages and hospitalization rates. In order to begin Stage 2, Kenney’s plan states 60 per cent of Albertans 12 and older must be vaccinated with at least one dose – an easy target, given how many vaccination doses have been administered daily, as of late – while COVID-related hospitalizations must stay below 500. Stage 3 requires 70 per cent of the population 12 and older to have received one dose.
Is the plan overly ambitious? It certainly feels like it. Alberta’s reopening plan is much more expedited than neighbouring British Columbia, which is aiming to loosen all public health restrictions by Sept. 7
Skeptics of Alberta’s plan immediately pointed out the timeline’s convenient finish line – just before the Calgary Stampede. Kenney said he anticipates the yearly summer showcase can “proceed at that point with full participation.”
As great as that sounds, it’s still hard to believe at this point. Would a mass public gathering with tens of thousands of people be safe, even if the majority of those attendees have received their first dose of vaccine? It’s well documented that both doses are required to provide immunity to COVID-19, and one dose alone is only enough to provide partial protection.
With Kenney’s popularity dropping the lowest it’s ever been amid the third wave of the pandemic, this feels like a political Hail Mary, and a gamble.
This all seems too soon, but only time will tell.
