Canada’s Alberta bans outdoor gatherings, mandates telecommuting as COVID spikes: Premier

"As of today, we are banning outdoor gatherings," Kenney said on Tuesday, expanding on the provision prohibiting outdoor gatherings instituted two weeks ago.

The province’s health minister, Tyler Shandro, clarified that those living alone will continue to be allowed to gather with two close contacts.

Other measures introduced by the province, include mandatory telecommuting where possible, and enforcing mandatory masking in all indoor public spaces effective immediately as well as the closure of libraries, museums, casinos and other reactional facilities beginning December 13, according to Kenney.

Dining establishments will be limited to offering take out also starting on December 13, Kenney said.

The measures will be in effect province-wide and remain in force for a minimum of four weeks, Kenney added. Albertans will be limited to congregating with immediate members of a household for Christmas or with two other close contacts who live alone, the premier said.

Kenney noted that the province had been taking a regional approach but a 371 percent spike in hospitalizations and a 300 percent rise in ICU patients in little more than a month and growing virus transmission in all parts of the province indicated to officials that such an approach had run its course.

The province of Alberta, which has been the nation’s hotspot for new infections, logged 1,727 new infections on Tuesday bring the province’s total to 72,028, according to provincial data, has asked the federal government and the Canadian Red Cross for field hospitals amid a shortage of hospital beds.

The virus is also pushing other provinces to the brink, with Manitoba extending its ban on indoor gatherings through the holiday season.

As of Tuesday, Canadian authorities have reported nearly 430,000 Coronavirus cases and more than 12,800 virus-related fatalities.