Alberta is now giving out more than a quarter of a million doses of COVID-19 vaccine per week, and in the coming weeks 25 per cent of Albertans will have some degree of immunity from the virus.
On Monday, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney updated the province on the vaccine roll-out and said the stretch goal for the province is to be able to provide 500,000 doses of vaccine per week if both the supply and Albertans' demand for them is there.
“I've said before that we are in a race between the vaccine and variants. Right now, the variants are winning that race. The third wave is hitting us hard and cases continue to rise sharply,” Kenney said.
“We now have more than 1,300 pharmacies and 103 immunization sites administering the vaccine and more coming on board in the coming weeks. The province is now on pace to administer more than 300,000 life-saving vaccine shots per week."
The premier said by the end of May around 50 per cent of Albertans should be protected from COVID-19, and as a result, health restrictions can be eased, allowing higher capacity limits and larger social gatherings.
By the end of June, around 64 per cent of Albertans will have immunity and Kenney said there will likely be no restrictions, with masking and distancing encouraged. Isolation rules will remain the same.
In September, 72 per cent of Albertans will have some level of immunity, potentially allowing for masking and isolation rules to lift.
Every Albertan over the age of 18 will be offered a first dose of the vaccine by the end of June if supply is not interrupted.
"We're nearing the end of a long and tiring journey. It is our path to recovery and freedom,” Kenney said.
More than 865,000 vaccine doses have now been given out in Alberta.
