NDP Health Critic David Shepherd issued the following statement in response to the continuation of public health restrictions and the latest COVID-19 update:

“Today we learned that the current enhanced public health measures will be extended for the second time since early December. While it is encouraging to see COVID-19 numbers declining, there is still extreme pressure on our health care system with high numbers of Albertans in hospital and in the ICU and as a result, we support this decision. 

“However, in light of the continuation of these enhanced public health measures, Albertans deserve more transparency and information from this UCP government. This includes daily reporting of testing for variants and new cases detected, updated modelling that shows how these current measures will affect case numbers, hospitalizations, and ICU capacity, and regular public updates on Alberta’s vaccine rollout from the Vaccine Task Force. 

“Albertans have stepped up to the plate, they need their government to do the same.”