Kenney revisiting many of his main points this week, talking about his visit to DC, concerns over Ottawa's trucker vaccine mandate and the refusal to negotiate with protestors.
Kenney says they have tried to balance lives and livelihoods, doing so with trial and error.
Thanks Albertans, but notably front-line health care workers.
Q!
William says he condemns Kenney for saying that truckers attacked RCMP, he doesn't want to hear from Kenney.
Kenney reads information he received, says RCMP were surrounded by vehicles who breached barricades and attempted to ram officers and collided with other motorists.
Kenney adds that motorists and protestors wound up physical conflict.
Adds that officer were swarmed, threatened, etc.
Says shame on those responsible for those actions.
When is the end?
Kenney says there will never be and to COVID-19- variants will continue.
But says variants will become less severe as they pass through populations and vaccinations continue.
Kenney says variants will be around for decades to come, but weakened.
Adds that they will set firm dates next week to end REP and other measures.
Says he wants to remove measures for kids even quicker,
Q- That whole spiel about hospitals being overwhelmed was false!
Kenney says in the fall there were 280 COVID ICU patients (and 335 overall), and normally Alberta only has 173 ICU beds total.
Adds he got a call from chief coroner to order backup freezer trucks because of deaths
Kenney talks to person who asked question who lives in Grande Prairie.
Says many ICU patients had to be transferred from Grande Prairie to Edmonton.
Adds hospitalizations now are highest ever.
Can you stop local municipalities from putting in their own mask mandates?
Kenney says legal advice says that municipalities have that power - but says they will take a look at that.
Adds muni councillors don't have access to same data Kenney does.
Kenney says local politicians improvising their own policies would be a matter of great concern.
If they were to bring forth legislation to ban munis from making mask mandates that wouldnt come until Leg is back in session.
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Premier Kenney says COVID cabinet will approve a plan early next week for the careful lifting of health measures, beginning with vaccine passport program.
Mayor Sohi says he a explore options on how to continue with the vaccine passport program in Edmonton should the province remove its REP in the coming days.
As for the mask mandate, Mayor Sohi says it will be in place until at least COVID cases are below 100 per 100,000 population for 28 consecutive days, which is not currently the case.
Premier Kenney says he's had reports of Coutts protestors assaulting RCMP officers, including trying to ram the RCMP which later led to collision with civilian vehicle in the area.
Kenney calls the attacks on RCMP at Coutts completely unacceptable and condemns the actions.
He implores anyone who feels strongly about the issues to find peaceful and lawful ways to protest.
Kenney thanks RCMP for handling the situation.
Also thanks law-abiding truck drivers who were stranded in Coutts.