Alberta Becomes 3rd Canadian Province To Declare State Of Emergency Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

TORONTO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th March, 2020) Canada's province Alberta has declared a state of emergency in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Premier Jason Kenney said in an address to Albertans on Tuesday.

"Today, I am announcing that Alberta is declaring a state of public emergency in response to COVID-19," Kenney said on Tuesday. "This declaration is meant to empower authorities under the Public Health Act to more effectively manage the pandemic response."

Alberta is the third Canadian province, together with Ontario and Prince Edward Island (PEI), to enact emergency measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Kenney announced a number of other measures to contain the virus, including a prohibition on gatherings of more than 50 people, putting Alberta on par with Federal public health guidelines and a $42 million monetary injection for civil society organizations such as charities.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government is also exploring measures in the Emergencies Act.

Government data indicates 74 Albertans have contracted the virus. Canada's total number of cases is approaching 450 and public health officials have reported five deaths from the disease.

According to the Johns Hopkins University, the number of infections with the novel coronavirus has exceeded 189,000 and more than 7,500 people have died from the disease.