Premier Jason Kenney speaks by phone while Health Minister Tyler Shandro talks via video. (Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko

"COVID is starting to win," says Kenney

Premier Kenney announces “new targeted measures” to combat COVID-19

Nov 12, 2020 | 3:51 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Alberta’s Premier has announced a series of temporary COVID-19 restrictions meant to keep the recent surge in cases at bay.

“The growing number of hospitalizations and ICU admissions are challenging our ability to continue to deliver non-urgent health services that Albertans depend on, and this, of course, affects everyone. It’s not just an Edmonton problem or a Calgary problem,” says Premier Jason Kenney.

From November 13-27, the following targeted measures are in effect for the following communities:

Enhanced public health measures, in effect from November 13-27. (Government of Alberta)

Measures targeted for Lethbridge include:

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• Community-specific mandatory measures
  • Ban on indoor group fitness classes and team sport activities (Nov 13-27).
  • Ban on group performance activities: singing, dancing and theatre (Nov 13-27).
• Mandatory measures
  • Restaurants, bars, lounges and pubs must stop liquor sales by 10pm and close by 11pm – applies to Class A, B or C licences (Nov 13-27).
  • 15-person limit on social and family gatherings – indoors and outdoors – where people are mixing and mingling.
  • 50-person limit on indoor and outdoor wedding ceremonies and funeral services.
  • Faith-based gatherings limited to 1/3 capacity at one time.
• Voluntary measures
  • No social gatherings inside your home or outside of your community. Instead, socialize outdoors or in structured settings, like restaurants or other business that are subject to legal limits and take steps to prevent transmission.
  • Limit of 3 cohorts: your core household, your school, and one other sport or social cohort. Young children who attend child care can be part of 4 cohorts.
  • Wear a mask in all indoor work settings, except when alone in a workspace or an appropriate barrier is in place.
  • Employers in office settings should implement measures to reduce the number of employees in the workplace at one time.

“Purple Zone Areas” are shown on the COVID-19 status map here. As of this publication, those communities in the South Health Zone include:

• Lethbridge
• Lethbridge County
• M.D. of Taber
• Cardston County
• County of Warner
• Vulcan County
• County of Forty Mile
• Cypress County
• County of Newell
• Brooks

Exact details on the new restrictions, including breakdowns per community, can be found here.

“I know it’ll be very hard for many people and we’re sorry for that impact. These decisions, however, are not made lightly,” says Kenney. “It remains true that minimizing the impact of restrictions is as important as minimizing the impact of COVID itself, but COVID is starting to win and we cannot let that happen.”

“We must reduce the spread of COVID-19. In addition to these measures, I am asking all Albertans to look at our lives and reduce our social and close contact interactions wherever we can,” says Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw. “If we can connect virtually or through other means, we need to make that change. By working together, we can protect each other, reduce the spread and protect our health system.”

Alberta Health Services also released Thursday’s update for COVID-19. Due to the stat holiday for Remembrance Day, there were no local or regional numbers provided yesterday.

860 cases were confirmed across the province in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 36,405. Of those, 8,305 cases are active and 27,707 people have recovered.

In the last two days, 110 positive tests were identified in the South Health Zone. 30 of those were in Lethbridge, 27 in Lethbridge County, and 22 in the M.D. of Taber.

One person in West Lethbridge died as a result of COVID-19. LNN is working to confirm details.

To date, the virus has claimed the lives of 393 Albertans.

Provincially, 225 patients are currently hospitalized and 51 have been admitted to intensive care units.

The regional breakdown for COVID-19 in Alberta is as follows:

• Calgary zone – 15,835 cases, 3,504 active
  • 163 deaths (five new)
  • 72 in hospital, 14 in ICU
• Edmonton zone – 13,590 cases, 3,387 active
  • 149 deaths (seven new)
  • 124 in hospital, 28 in ICU
• South zone – 2,922 cases, 518 active
  • 32 deaths (one new)
  • 13 in hospital, seven in ICU
• North zone – 2,581 cases, 510 active
  • 40 deaths (two new)
  • Nine in hospital, two in ICU
• Central zone – 1,375 cases, 347 active
  • Nine deaths
  • Seven in hospital

The breakdown for the South Health Zone by community is as follows:

• Brooks – 1,223 cases (five new), 43 active, 10 deaths
• Lethbridge – 708 cases (30 new), 188 active, six deaths (one new)
  • West Lethbridge – 291 cases (18 new), 91 active, two deaths (one new)
  • South Lethbridge – 236 cases (six new), 63 active, three deaths
  • North Lethbridge – 181 cases (six new), 34 active, one death
• Lethbridge County – 234 cases (27 new), 92 active, one death
• Cardston County – 123 cases, 11 active, five deaths
• Medicine Hat – 127 cases (eight new), 28 active, two deaths
• M.D. of Taber – 111 cases (22 new), 56 active
• County of Warner – 82 cases (two new), 10 active, one death
• County of Forty Mile – 78 cases (five new), 28 active
• County of Newell – 75 cases (six new), 23 active, two deaths
• Cypress County – 71 cases (three new), 30 active
• Fort Macleod – 37 cases, four active, three deaths
• M.D. of Pincher Creek – 31 cases (one new), four active, two deaths
• Crowsnest Pass – Three cases, zero active