With Alberta's health-care system "collapsing right in front of our eyes," four unions representing thousands of health-care workers are calling on Kenney to ask for military and Red Cross help.

Declaring a state of public health emergency Wednesday evening, Premier Jason Kenney said the province could run out of intensive care beds and staff to manage COVID-19 patients within the next 10 days.

Alberta’s school boards and parents are relying on goodwill and gossip to protect students and staff from COVID now that the UCP has stopped universal contact tracing and alerts for positive cases.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is putting off elective surgeries and outpatient procedures in the Calgary region for the week to focus on intensive care units, as COVID-19 hospitalizations soar.

Kenney's lifting of pandemic restrictions was not based on science and he failed to reimpose measures despite the rise of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations through the summer, say experts.

Twelve Alberta mayors are calling for Premier Jason Kenney to bring in province-wide COVID-19 vaccine passport rules, while a member of his UCP caucus is telling him to back away from them entirely.

As a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases pushes Alberta's hospitals to the brink, many local businesses are increasingly frustrated with the UCP government's refusal to introduce a vaccine passport program.

Instead of a vaccine passport, Kenney announces Albertans who get a COVID vaccination will receive a $100 debit card. The UCP is also reinstating a mask mandate and setting last call at 10:00 p.m.

Kenney has been absent for 23 days as COVID numbers surge, providing no leadership during the health crisis. To help Albertans, a group of doctors have started regular COVID briefings.