[…] National Telegraph […]
Written By Wyatt Claypool, Posted on May 5, 2021
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney was expected to implement harsher lockdown measures after weeks of climbing COVID-19 and variant infections in spite of already tough lockdowns that have evidently failed to curb the spread throughout the province.
Although American states have demonstrated that opening up does not exacerbate infection rates, Kenney has decided to double down on the economically devastating lockdowns, that have been increasingly frustrating Albertans.
Kenney sounded shaky at the press conference today as if he knows that his position as Premier has become quite tentative within his own party.
Below are some of the highlights of what he said during his update:
Governments must not impair people’s rights or their livelihoods unless it is absolutely necessary to save lives, and in this case to prevent disaster from unfolding in our hospitals…
….
Starting this Friday, May 6, Kindergarten to grade 12 will move to at-home learning until Tuesday, May 25, after the long weekend.
Kenney also went on to announce other restrictions would take effect immediately that will clamp down much harder on the lives of Albertans.
Kenney said:
All post-secondary institutions will move online. Retail services must limit consumer capacity to 10 percent of fire code capacity, or a minimum of five customers, this includes individual stores or common areas.
Outdoor social gatherings currently limited to 10 people will now be limited to 5, and with a strong recommendation that people limit such gatherings to no more than 2 family cohorts.
Places of worship currently limited to 15% [firecode] capacity will now be limited to 15 people as they were last spring. Sadly funerals currently limited to 20 people will now be limited to 10.
Kenney also went on to say that at 11:59 pm on May 9, tattoo parlors, salons, barbershops, and other personal wellness services will be forced to close for three straight weeks. In-person dining will also have to end, with only take-out as an option for the hemorrhaging restaurant industry.
Outdoor recreational activities are also being limited to only family members and close contacts, meaning that indoor fitness facilities are also being forced to close.
The Alberta government will also be doubling all fines from $1000 to $2000 for violations of the new measures, which is an explicit attempt to shift blame for the current high infection rates on those who have become fed up and refuse to follow restrictions.
Kenney when announcing heightened enforcement measures for repeat violators of the public health measures said in a more angry tone, “we will not tolerate those who endanger the health of their fellow Albertans while the vast majority of people are doing the right thing,” which is a tacit admittance that the issue of people not following lockdowns is not the cause of the failure of Kenney’s lockdown policy, lockdowns simply aren’t as effective as he makes them seem.
Kenney ended off his update stating that:
There is one simple message. If you can stay home, please stay home, at least over the next three weeks. I know this is discouraging to hear. Nobody wants to be here especially after 14 months with multiple waves of this pandemic, but our commitment to the health and safety of Albertans must come first.
Kenney seems to believe the Alberta government’s policies were not overly restrictive before despite no real positive outcomes and now believes Albertans didn’t follow the harsh lockdown rules closely enough, and the lockdown rules need to be even harsher.
Kenney has placed himself into a political corner where he cannot admit that his policies failed, rather everyone else but him failed, and out of almost pure spite for those getting tired of the ineffective and economy-ruining lockdowns he is going to become even more vindictive with their use.
Now Alberta will be diving headfirst into Doug Ford’s Ontario-style lockdown restrictions that will bankrupt more small businesses and increase unemployment while achieving no reduction in infections outside of the natural rise and fall we have been seeing for more than a year now.
At least the silver lining here may be that Albertans all will catch on to the lie that lockdowns are the only public health solution while states across the southern border open up and reduce cases at the same time.
Wyatt is a student at Mount Royal University, where he is the president of its Campus Conservative club. In his writing, he focuses on covering provincial and federal politics, firearms regulation, and the energy sector. Wyatt has also previously written for The Post Millennial.
[…] National Telegraph […]
A well written report. Thanks for your effort. It raises awareness.
[…] National Telegraph […]
November 24, 2024
November 11, 2024
I do not think we will hit the limit for Kenney’s funeral. Maybe he can lower it more?
It does not help that our federal government’s initiative to secure vaccine doses has been a catastrophe.
Stupid policies, people have to see what’s going on? These restrictions will do nothing to change the rate at which people get sick, except for those who are missing critical medical care because they can’t go to a hospital.
Even though that hospital is empty compared to every year before this.
Do you have a ‘report a typo’ section? The second paragraph uses the word "exasperate" where I think the author intended to say "exacerbate".
What a fuckin clown kenney is..we will not listen to your bullshit rules..welcome to Alberta budz..we do what we fuckin want to..end of story
“Follow the health guidelines” and “follow the rules”! How about after 14 months we look at the statistics that show that lockdowns don’t work, and are very harmful! If you truly cared about Albertans Jason Kenney, you would be following them!
All this did for Kenney is piss off every voter in Alberta. Everyone is pissed, left and right.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Hmm it didn’t work last year, maybe this year? Seriously?
Canada became the dictatorship !!
Nothing here is connected to a health care or pandemic((
THE SECOND NUREMBERG TRIBUNAL is coming….nobody will be forgotten, every politician, every official in every country will take responsibility for Henocide and Gestapo that are they doing…
I will not comply, this is not about a virus, this is about his boxers being in a bunch because the vast majority are sick and tired of the lies, the government overreach and the fact that he thinks we should bend over and kiss his ass.
Mass non compliance is the only way to end this farce.
The WIPA gets my vote next election and God help the UCP member that darkens my doorstep.
Why should any business be shut down when WALMART & COSTCO can be open, this is a PLANDEMIC but WE THE PEOPLE will WIN in the end!!! We all have to get together and say NO. I’m a 2 chair salon that has to close but retail can be open. This makes no common sense at all. It’s all about CONTROL.
NO. Just No. Resign and leave Alberta while you still can Kenney.
We do not tolerate liars and tyrants here.
And this little tyrant can go f himself. Will live my life as I see fit not at the blessing of some poticial asshole.
No mention of viral spike protein shedding from “vaccinated” Guinea Pigs that are being experimented upon with an untested Gene Therapy, this is the real threat to humanity! Remember the Zombie Apocalypse? Well it’s on the way compliments the Globalist Nazi’s!
I can’t believe that this has gone as far as this. The provincial governments are following this communist agenda that Trudeau has put in place. First Ontario and Quebec and now western governments follows. While they make quite the show of theatrical moves but are stopping freedom of choice and violating charter of rights and freedoms. These governments are breaking the laws of this country and need to be placed in prison