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Speaking from the legislature in Edmonton, the premier, who’s approaching the anniversary of his first year in office, laid out two scenarios to the province: the “probable scenario,” which will see peak infections by mid-May, with as many as 800,000 Albertans falling ill.

In that scenario, between 400 and 3,100 people could die.

In the “more serious but less likely” scenario, infections would peak at the beginning of May, the premier said, with as many as one million positive COVID-19 tests, and between 500 and 6,600 people dead.

“But these models are not a done deal,” Kenney said. “I want Albertans to see them as a challenge. Perhaps the greatest challenge of our generation.”

“How this actually plays out — how many people are infected, how many die, whether we overwhelm our health-care system — all of that depends on us and our choices,” Kenney said, reminding Albertans of physical distancing rules.

Faced with this triple threat, our job is to save both lives and livelihoods

Kenney also took the time to address those who suggest letting the virus run its course. If the province does nothing, he said, as many as 32,000 people in Alberta could die — 640 people per day — with 1.6 million infections.

“Our health system would collapse under the chaos of that scenario,” Kenney said.