The Alberta government announced its three-stage "open for summer" plan on May 26, with Premier Jason Kenney projecting the province could lift all major COVID-19 restrictions as soon as June 28 if it hits vaccination and hospitalization targets. The plan comes only weeks after Alberta had the highest COVID-19 rate in North America and means that Albertans could see a provincial reopening more than two months before B.C.
Stage 1 will begin on June 1, as 50% of Albertans over 12 have received one dose of vaccine and hospitalizations remain below 800. This phase will allow for outdoor gatherings up to 10 people, funeral services up to 20, and retail at 15% of fire code capacity, among other eased restrictions. Stage 2 would open gyms, movie theatres, arenas at one-third capacity, and outdoor gatherings of up to 20 people. If the province progresses to Stage 3, all major restrictions will be lifted, "including (a) ban on indoor social gatherings."
"We are optimistic that we'll enter Stage 3 by early July," Kenney said. "And what a great day that will be. Events like K-Days and Calgary Stampede can proceed at that point with full participation."
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Reactions to the announcement were divided — while some worry the province's bold reopening plan may provoke a fourth wave, others are anxious to return to normal.
- "Pretty clear that they're done, they've stopped caring," tweeted one worried Albertan, while another said: "This reopen Alberta thing really works for me and my camping needs."
- "It's not clear how Jason Kenney decided on this pace, whether it was informed by science, or whether he simply worked backwards from the first day of the Calgary Stampede," tweeted NDP leader Rachel Notley.
- Other leaders were more optimistic. Strathcona-Sherwood Park UCP MLA Nate Glubish tweeted: "Albertans have shown they are strong, tough, resilient, and compassionate. Thanks to that Alberta spirit and Albertans' hard work, we can look forward to a three-stage Open for Summer Plan."
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Earlier this week, Dr. Shazma Mithani warned against a preemptive opening. Following Kenney's announcement, she tweeted her frustration. "I'm very disappointed with this plan. It's too aggressive and relying on Albertans 'doing the right thing,' which we know hasn't worked before," said Dr. Mithani in a Twitter thread. "I would have liked to see ... something closer to the measured approach Ontario is using."
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ICU physician Darren Markland also weighed in, saying that "we should be basing these stages on full vaccination." He tweeted: "We should not be disincentivizing second shots by pretending this is over when it isn't."
Other announcements include:
- The Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant has been extended to June 30. Companies "that were ordered to close or curtail operations, and that experienced a revenue reduction of at least 30% as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic" can apply for financial relief.
- Changes to the Tourism Levy Act will stay in place until June 30. The levy allows accommodation providers "to keep tourism levy amounts collected between April 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021."
Photo credit: Alberta News Room/Flickr
Clarification: An earlier version of this story stated that "Stage 1 will begin on June 1, as 50% of Albertans over 12 are immunized..." We have clarified this to indicate that those Albertans have only received one dose of vaccine, and are not fully immunized.