Starting Friday, Albertans will be able to get rapid COVID-19 test kits from Alberta Health Services sites and select pharmacies, Premier Jason Kenney announced Wednesday..The move comes as the new Omicron variant is sweeping across Europe..Kenney said Omicron has “many unknowns” but is “quickly and easily spread” and “might present a risk to our health care system..“We need to be prudent and cautious,” said Kenney..Despite that, Kenney lowered restrictions on Christmas gatherings..And Kenney lowered the age of people allowed to get a booster shot to 50, including all health care workers..Kenney said the kits will be available at 740 locations across the province. Each kit will have five tests and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Each Albertan can have one kit for themselves and another for a household member. Two health care cards will have to be shown..The kits will also be given to schools that are on outbreak alert status — meaning there have been two cases at the facility in the last 14 days..“This will give us an extra layer of defence against the virus,” Kenney said..He said during a call with the prime minister last night he and other premiers pressed Justin Trudeau for more rapid test kits and to approve new products. Kenney noted only a handful of rapid tests have been approved in Canada. Europe has given the OK to about 100..Kenney said he cancelled a four-day trip to Toronto to meet with business leaders to stay in Alberta as the Omicron threat grows. He said the meetings he was to attend will be done virtually..Over the Christmas period, Kenney relaxed rules for gatherings. Currently, only 10 people can gather from two households. The household limit is now lifted, but the number limit remains. Children don’t count toward the total..And the unvaccinated can also hold gatherings, something they couldn’t do before..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
Starting Friday, Albertans will be able to get rapid COVID-19 test kits from Alberta Health Services sites and select pharmacies, Premier Jason Kenney announced Wednesday..The move comes as the new Omicron variant is sweeping across Europe..Kenney said Omicron has “many unknowns” but is “quickly and easily spread” and “might present a risk to our health care system..“We need to be prudent and cautious,” said Kenney..Despite that, Kenney lowered restrictions on Christmas gatherings..And Kenney lowered the age of people allowed to get a booster shot to 50, including all health care workers..Kenney said the kits will be available at 740 locations across the province. Each kit will have five tests and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Each Albertan can have one kit for themselves and another for a household member. Two health care cards will have to be shown..The kits will also be given to schools that are on outbreak alert status — meaning there have been two cases at the facility in the last 14 days..“This will give us an extra layer of defence against the virus,” Kenney said..He said during a call with the prime minister last night he and other premiers pressed Justin Trudeau for more rapid test kits and to approve new products. Kenney noted only a handful of rapid tests have been approved in Canada. Europe has given the OK to about 100..Kenney said he cancelled a four-day trip to Toronto to meet with business leaders to stay in Alberta as the Omicron threat grows. He said the meetings he was to attend will be done virtually..Over the Christmas period, Kenney relaxed rules for gatherings. Currently, only 10 people can gather from two households. The household limit is now lifted, but the number limit remains. Children don’t count toward the total..And the unvaccinated can also hold gatherings, something they couldn’t do before..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
