OTTAWA, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The western Canadian province of Alberta declared a state of public health emergency on Tuesday, putting strong restrictions in place to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Effective immediately, the province-wide mandatory restrictions allow no indoor social gatherings in any setting. Outdoor social gatherings are limited to 10 people at most.
All students will return to at-home learning after the winter break and resume in-person learning on Jan. 11, 2021.
Besides, places of worship are limited to a maximum of one-third of the normal attendance per service.
Limits on retail stores and services will take effect on Friday. Some businesses, like banquet halls, must close, while stores can stay open at one quarter capacity.
"Without these measures, we will soon have to cancel thousands of surgeries and other health services. Albertans must act together to protect the vulnerable," Premier Jason Kenney said.
Alberta reported 1,115 new cases and 16 additional deaths on Tuesday. It also has 13,349 active cases, the most in Canada, according to Tuesday's update.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Canada continued to increase as the country reported a total of 340,388 cases and 11,592 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon, according to CTV.
The country confirmed the average daily COVID-19 case count standing at 5,050 cases for the past seven days, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada on Tuesday. Enditem
