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Thursday
In-person learners must go back to class Monday, despite lockdown extension
In spite of a two-week extension on provincial pandemic restrictions announced Thursday, schools are an outlier and will open as planned next week despite rising positivity rates and growing concerns around a new COVID variant.
And with both the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Catholic School District confirming in-person learners cannot switch to online learning mid-year, those students will have no choice but to go back to the classroom Monday.
Thursday
‘Our gatherings are essential’: Pastor fined after Calgary church ordered to follow COVID protocols
The pastor of a Calgary church ordered to comply with public health rules after Alberta Health Services flagged numerous violations says the province’s temporary restrictions “make it impossible for us to obey God.”
Tim Stephens, senior pastor at Fairview Baptist Church in the city’s southeast, received a $1,200 fine under the Public Health Act after he was ticketed by a Calgary peace officer for failing to follow the orders set out by the province’s chief medical officer of health.
Thursday
Restrictions to stay in place until Jan. 21; 968 new cases, 24 deaths
Premier Jason Kenney and Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided an update on COVID-19 in Alberta. He announced that current health measures will stay in place until Jan. 21.
- 968 new cases on 14,833 tests; 6.4% positivity rate
- 24 additional deaths; 1,217 total
- 871 in hospital; 139 in ICUs
- 13,298 active cases; 93,954 recovered
- In-school learning will resume as planned on Monday, Kenney said.