Kenney presses for clarity on municipal reopening plans, says Albertans should get ‘powerful protection’ of COVID-19 vaccines

While municipalities like St. Albert and Red Deer aligned their reopening plans with the province, Edmonton and Calgary City Council were not afraid to air their grievances with July 1 as the approved date for Stage 3.

On the opposition to the province’s plan, Premier Jason Kenney did not mince his words, vocally criticizing his opponents in media and in office. “I do know there has been a tendency amongst some, including your media colleagues, to constantly beat the drum about fear,” he said. “I don't think that's where the public is at, but certainly not where science is at."

Kenney found the lack of consistency in local reopening plans “unfortunate,” citing his government has tried to work closely with municipalities. “I've conveyed that repeatedly to Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. I don't think it's helpful for different governments to adopt different and conflicting policies,” he said.

Worried about the confusion of different plans in the general public, he pressed for clarity. “The province has offered that clarity with a reopening plan that is based on the expert advice of our Chief Medical Officer of Health and her expertise based on a careful analysis of the data here and across the world,” said Kenney.

“As Dr. Hinshaw underscored on Tuesday, she is confident in the plan that she developed based on rising vaccination rates, population protection and the continuing decline in new COVID-19 cases across our province.

"All I can tell you is the Alberta Government is following the expert advice of our Chief Medical Officer, instead of following angry voices on Twitter," said Kenney, who encouraged every municipality to follow the expert advice of Dr. Hinshaw.

Based on data released Tuesday, there were 92 new cases in Alberta on June 22, with 199 Albertans hospitalized and 56 in intensive care. Only 1,676 active cases of COVID-19 remain.

The rationale behind failed votes in Calgary and Edmonton City Council to deactivate municipal mask bylaws were concerns of a fourth wave pushed by the Delta variant and low second dose rates to date. Dr. Hinshaw expressed no concern on any known variant that she sees as posing a risk for significant increases in severe outcomes, including hospitalizations.

As of June 22, 31.5 percent of Albertans are fully vaccinated.

“I would like to point out that Calgary is well ahead of the provincial average on vaccination rates,” said Kenney. “We have now had 76 percent of eligible Calgarians receive their first dose. I believe that by Canada Day, second dose rates will be closer to 40 percent.”

On budding tensions with Calgary’s mayor, Kenney claimed Nenshi didn't want people in the New York Times seeing Albertans at the Calgary Stampede without masks. “Well, guess what? Governor Cuomo just lifted the statewide mask mandate in New York, based on a 70 percent first dose metric. The same metric that we've had in Alberta’s open for summer plan,” he said.

Despite the warring perspectives on masks, Kenney relayed Dr. Hinshaw’s advice, stating, “People are welcome to continue wearing masks if they choose to do so. There may be some people who have good reasons for that, especially those with an elevated risk profile."

“Regardless, it’s absolutely their choice, and we should honour that choice,” he said. “We need move forward into openness… and take into account all of the different factors, including the damaging impact that public health restrictions have on our broader society and on our broader social health. And we have done exactly that, by accepting the advice in the opening plan."

Kenney cited the Public Health England report on the effectiveness of vaccines against hospitalization from the Delta variant, which indicated that 96 percent of people getting the second dose of an mRNA vaccine, like Pfizer, are protected from hospitalization. On the fears held by some city councillors regarding the Delta variant, he quoted 94 percent are protected from hospitalization on the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

More work remains to be done on the level of protection against mortality from the Delta variant. However, as with other variants, this is expected to be high. Public Health England previously published an analysis showing that one dose is 17 percent less effective at preventing symptomatic illness from the Delta variant, compared to Alpha, but there is only a small difference after two doses.

“That is the science. Let's follow the science,” said Kenney. “We are headed towards at least 75 percent population protection on first dose coverage and are going to be catching up very quickly to that on full immunization.”

“I understand people have some anxiety, and we all have to continue to be mindful of potential future variance,” he said. “But the reality is that other jurisdictions around the world have opened up much more broadly, much more quickly, while observing COVID numbers decline.”

Kenney continues to urge Albertans who have not taken the jab to take full advantage of the ‘powerful protection’ of vaccines. “If people want to take greater precautions in their own lives, I encourage them to do that,” he said. “That's the great thing about freedom, they're free to do so.”