According to local media, a Canadian province decided on Tuesday to begin phasing out Covid-19 restrictive measures.
The premier of the western Canadian province of Alberta, Jason Kenney, announced Tuesday that the province’s vaccine passport will expire at midnight, and that most other Covid health rules will be repealed in three weeks.
Strong vaccination rates, declining hospital cases, and continued reductions in Omicron spread allow Kenney to scrap the passport, he said at a news conference. “Our approach to Covid must change as the disease changes.”
Starting February 14, all children under the age of 12 will be exempt from wearing mandatory masks in all settings, including schools.
According to local news outlets, all indoor masking rules will be repealed by March 1, as planned, as will the requirements for capacity limits on large venues, mandatory work from home, and social gathering limits.
These decisions were made shortly after Saskatchewan became the first Canadian province to phase out anti-Covid regulations.
Earlier in the day, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced that, beginning February 14, his province will no longer require Covid vaccine passports, and that the indoor mask mandate will be phased out at the end of the month.
In the coming days, several Canadian provinces, including Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, are expected to follow suit.