Oh crap! Alberta locks down, again. Number 3. Yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel, but our tunnel keeps moving.

Well, we hit the circuit breaker this week. Sadly, we are rolling back pretty much all of our easing measures in a big way. Good thing I got my haircut last week. And I guess, as grandparents, we are returning to our role as remote learning assistants.

Above, I am showing you the key COVID-19 numbers for Canada and Alberta over the past fourteen months. Hospitalizations and ICU occupancy, as well as Alberta’s testing positivity rate in red. Lockdown dates in green. Alberta missed the worst of Canada’s first peak a year ago, but we are now fully in synch with peaks two and three in December and now.

Our testing positivity hit 7% last spring then abated to 2% for the summer, climbing last fall to 10%. Like many other places, our early 2021 trough remained stubbornly high, and now we are heading up to the teens. Our lockdowns coincided with peak positivity rates. Our first lockdown was piecemeal as cities, institutions and finally the province came to grips with public health measures last spring, just like elsewhere. Our major lockdowns were in mid-December and now, this week.

So, Alberta locks down again, typically as a lagging indicator of how serious things were getting a few weeks earlier.

On the vaccination front, some better news. As of today, about 45% of adults here have one shot, and around 10% are fully vaccinated. Unfortunately, most of us are having to wait up to 16 weeks for shot number two. Boo!

Alberta Locks Down Again – Tough Times for Politicians

Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party is similar to what you would have found with pre-Trump Republicans in the States. A big division between urban and rural attitudes, and quite a few wingnuts that get out of control. Our premier has a tough time walking a center line, especially in the face of constant criticism within and without.

While most people in urban areas comply with public health guidance, too many don’t. What I find particularly frustrating is a lack of information about what is causing the spread. I honestly don’t know if government is just afraid to tell us the facts, or quite possibly, they have no idea themselves. Sadly, I suspect our responses are just lagging shots in the dark. Seems like Inspector Clouseau is running the show.