Alberta granting more peace officers powers to enforce COVID-19 rules

Indoor social gatherings, for example, are no longer permitted. Gatherings happening outdoors can have a maximum of 10 people.

Operations for businesses will take place in a few different categories, which went into effect Friday.

Madu reiterated statements from Premier Jason Kenney Tuesday that $1,000 tickets will be issued for those breaking these new rules. If it goes to the courts, fines could be as high as $100,000.

He says an estimated 40 per cent of currently-active cases in the province are the result of social gatherings.

“To reflect the current health risk, we are temporarily increasing the number of peace officers who can sanction fines against those who break the rules.”

Currently, public health legislation is conducted by police, health inspectors, and level one peace officers.

“On top of these, I am temporarily extending this authority to about 700 more officers to both certain Level 2 Alberta peace officers and Level 1 community peace officers.”

Alberta Health Services has released Friday’s report on COVID-19, covering statistics from the past 24 hours.

1,227 cases were confirmed across the province, bringing the total to date to 53,105. Of those, 14,217 cases are active while 38,369 people have recovered.

40 of those were in the South Health Zone including 17 in Lethbridge and 10 in Medicine Hat.

Since yesterday’s update, nine Albertans have died from COVID-19 with four in the Edmonton Zone, two each in the South and Calgary Zones, and one in the Central Zone.

Both deaths in the South Zone were for people from the M.D. of Taber.

So far in the pandemic, 519 Albertans have died as a result of the virus.

Currently, 405 patients provincially are hospitalized and 86 have been admitted to intensive care.

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

Calgary zone – 21,889 cases, 5,164 active
- 192 deaths (two new)
- 137 in hospital, 21 in ICU
Edmonton zone – 21,351 cases, 6,614 active
- 225 deaths (four new)
- 199 in hospital, 451 in ICU
South zone – 3,698 cases, 634 active
- 42 deaths (two new)
- 21 in hospital, six in ICU
North zone – 3,532 cases, 769 active
- 45 deaths
- 23 in hospital, three in ICU
Central zone – 2,446 cases, 950 active
- 15 deaths (one new)
- 25 in hospital, five in ICU

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

Brooks – 1,274 cases, 42 active, 12 deaths
Lethbridge – 937 cases (17 new), 191 active, seven deaths
- West Lethbridge – 364 cases (one new), 60 active, two deaths
- South Lethbridge – 310 cases (five new), 61 active, three deaths
- North Lethbridge – 263 cases (11 new), 70 active, two deaths
Lethbridge County – 309 cases (two new), 67 active, two deaths
Medicine Hat – 250 cases (10 new), 105 active, three deaths
M.D. of Taber – 228 cases (five new), 97 active, four deaths (two new)
Cardston County – 161 cases, 27 active, five deaths
Cypress County – 114 cases, 27 active
County of Warner – 106 cases, 24 active, one death
County of Forty Mile – 100 cases, 19 active, one death
County of Newell – 100 cases (two new), 15 active, two deaths
Fort Macleod – 48 cases (one new), five active, three deaths
M.D. of Pincher Creek – 36 cases, four active, two deaths
Crowsnest Pass – Five cases, one active

by David Opinko

Alberta granting more peace officers powers to enforce COVID-19 rules

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