KENNEY’S COVID RESTRICTIONS LEAVE ALBERTANS WITH MORE QUESTIONS

EDMONTON – In an address to the province that did not allow for the media to ask questions, Premier Jason Kenney announced confusing public health restrictions that left Albertans with more questions than answers. 

“The Premier is continuing to make false promises and create false hope, setting up for further challenges and disappointment in the weeks to come,” said NDP Leader Rachel Notley. “He’s undermining peoples’ ability to plan. These new measures will have an immediate impact on Alberta small business owners struggling to stay afloat and to ride out this massive third wave.”

The NDP has called on the Government multiple times to implement adequate financial support for small businesses including a $25,000 grant with broad eligibility and other measures outlined at AlbertasFuture.ca 

Today’s announcement included sending all schools, kindergarten through grade 12, to online learning effective Friday, May 7.

“Jason Kenney minimized the problem in our schools for months, and now today hundreds of thousands of students have been forced out of their classrooms. He claimed schools were safe and sat on his hands while school boards, teachers and parents begged for help. He’s failed each and every student in our province,” said Notley. 

Retail stores were reduced to 10 per cent capacity effective at midnight. Starting on the weekend Alberta will also see personal services such as salons and tattoo parlours close for three weeks. 

“We also still have so many Albertans who will continue to work, with record COVID-19 cases in our communities. These workers still do not have a sick pay program.

“I fear so many will still be forced to choose between staying home to help prevent transmission and paying their bills. We would pass a bill on sick pay in a matter of hours, if only the Premier would take the padlock off the legislature,” said Notley. 

Fines for breaking the rules around COVID restrictions were raised to $2,000, and come after the community of Bowden saw a rodeo event this weekend that saw attendance upwards of 4,000 people. 

“I am also concerned that tomorrow morning we will hear from UCP government MLAs telling Albertans that they oppose these new measures. I condemn this behaviour in the strongest possible terms, and I call on Jason Kenney to finally have the guts to throw these MLAs out of his caucus,” said Notley.  “If you can’t support keeping Albertans safe, then you can’t sit in the government caucus.  Period. It’s as simple as that.”