Update from the Legislature - August 5
Changes to COVID-19 rules
The legislature remains adjourned until October 25. Last week the province announced a two-phase transition intended to bring COVID-19 quarantine, isolation, and other measures in line with those used for influenza and other viruses.
Effective July 29, close contacts are no longer required to quarantine, but isolation is still required for positive cases and people with symptoms.
Effective August 16, quarantining will no longer be mandatory for individuals who test positive for COVID-19, but it will be recommended. Masks will no longer be required in public transit, rideshares and taxies.
Testing for severe cases, provincial monitoring and outbreak management in high-risk settings will continue.
As of August 2, 76 per cent of eligible Albertans had one dose of vaccine and 65.8 per cent were fully immunized.
The province reported that since July 1, when the province lifted most restrictions, people not fully immunized accounted for 95 per cent of COVID-19 cases, 94 per cent of hospitalizations and 95 per cent of deaths caused by the disease.
New Senator
Governor General Mary Simon appointed AUMA member and colleague Karen Sorensen, Mayor of Banff, to the Senate of Canada on July 29. The provincial government plans to elect three Senate nominees in conjunction with the October 18 municipal elections.
