Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said public health officials should have mandated the closure of the plant — and not left it up to Olymel management to shut its doors.

Due to ongoing pressure, the UCP will finally use COVID-19 federal funding for frontline workers. Kenney announced that some Alberta frontline workers will receive a one-time $1,200 payment.

Alberta is sitting on more than $675 million federal emergency COVID-19 funds, for essential worker wage top-ups, job training in hard-hit sectors, long-term care supports, and more.

As two Edmonton schools move online due to outbreaks, Gil McGowan, AFL president, said it's time to consider sending all Alberta students back online, at least where COVID-19 rates are high.

Albertans will remember that at least eight UCP members and senior staffers jetted off to foreign locales while they stayed at home following emergency directives by the government those office-holders represent.

Kenney accepted the resignations of Grande Prairie MLA Tracy Allard as minister of municipal affairs and of Jamie Huckabay, his chief of staff. In a Facebook post, Kenney said he has demoted five other UCP MLAs who travelled internationally.

Officials said Tany Yao is the latest UCP MLA who left Canada during the holiday season amid COVID-19. Yao, who represents Fort McMurray – Wood Buffalo, is currently in Mexico and cannot be reached.

#ResignKenney was trending on Twitter, after the premier failed to lay out consequences for at least eight MLAs and staffers for Alberta’s UCP who travelled internationally amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pat Rehn, the MLA for Lesser Slave Lake, posted on Facebook Saturday confirming he is on his way back from Mexico. Jason Stephan, MLA for Red Deer-South, is also returning from a trip to Arizona.