Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced on Friday that his province will be lifting virtually all of its COVID-19 related public health restrictions by Canada Day this year.
Kenney made the announcement during a celebratory press conference in which he thanked Albertans for lining up to get their vaccines.
“The end of this terrible time is just two weeks away,” said Kenney.
“I never doubted that we would reach this milestone together, that we’d pull together as a province, as a people, and get ‘er done in the true Alberta spirit.”
Alberta will be entering its final stage of it’s three-step reopening program after the vaccination requirements were reached on Thursday.
Currently, over 70% of people in Alberta who were eligible for the vaccine have received at least one dose.
“With more than 70 per cent of eligible Albertans now vaccinated with a first dose and more receiving second doses every day, the end of this pandemic is near,” said Alberta’s Minister of health Tyler Shandro in a news release on Friday.
“Thank you to the Albertans who have rolled up their sleeves to get protected. For those who are still thinking about getting a shot, you have only one week to get your shot before we draw for $1 million and other great prizes.”
Once Alberta enters the third stage of the plan, the indoor and outdoor gathering restrictions will be lifted. Similarly capacity limits for places of worship and businesses will also disappear.
According to the government of Alberta, mandatory indoor masking requirements will also be lifted, however “limited and specific settings” may still require mask-wearing.
Isolation requirements will still remain in place for those who test positive for COVID-19 even after the province enters the third stage.
