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Restrictions to be eased in long-term, continuing care facilities in Alberta on May 10

Last Updated Apr 26, 2021 at 5:13 pm MDT

Bed at nursing home with nurse and wheelchair on background.

EDMONTON (660 NEWS) — Premier Jason Kenney has announced a long-waited relief for those who live, and have loved ones in long-term and continuing care facilities.

Come May 10, restrictions will be eased for those in the homes that will allow the number of designated visitors to go from two to four people.

Outdoor gatherings will also go from five people up to ten.

WATCH: Kenney, Shandro provide update on easing of restrictions in long-term, continuing care facilities in Alberta.

“This is a safe and prudent step forward,” Kenney said. “We’re not getting rid of all of the restrictions at continuing care facilities, there will continue to be limit on who can visit and how many and strong outbreak protocols will remain in place. There are no risk-free options. But, we’ve hear loud and clear from residents and families that they want this change, and vaccines are giving us the opportunity to do so.”

Kenney showed an example of where vaccinating the most vulnerable has gotten the province to date. With 831 active cases in long-term care on Dec. 27 to now just 44 active cases as of last week.

Kenney added on Christmas Day, Alberta reached a peak of over 1,300 cases in designated supported living facilities, but since, cases have declined 92 per cent.

Kenney says while the third wave of the pandemic continues to affect the province, it hasn’t affected those most vulnerable the way it did before.

“We have experienced a downward trend in Alberta of deaths reported from averaging a high of 167 a week at the end of December, to 25 over the last seven days,” he said.

Kenney praised the province for going out and getting vaccinated, with Gen X’ers stepping up and getting their shot when it was offered to them.

On top of the 83 per cent of those 75 and older who have been vaccinated, more than 75 per cent of Albertans between the ages of 65 and 74 have received their shot as well.

As well, more than 55 per cent of those between the ages of 60 and 64 have been immunized.

Kenney says over the last week, the province has administered over 87,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“Once more, we have another 56,000 appointments booked for the next seven days. We continue to have the widest eligibility criteria in Canada for the vaccinations … more than 2.3 million people are able to book their vaccine, that’s roughly half of the province.”