Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, said that focusing on those in continuing care facilities and health-care workers will reduce overall demand on the acute care health system by protecting the most vulnerable citizens and safeguarding health workers.
The source said a formal request has still not been sent by the province, but officials have been discussing in detail the level of support Alberta could receive.
He said that the first deliveries of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be in Canada within weeks, "and while we cannot control when these vaccines arrive in Alberta, we can make sure that when we get them, we are ready to roll them out as quickly as we can", he said.
In the early days of the pandemic, the province set up a field hospital in Calgary; the request is for similar tents, the source said.
"First of all, health officials, especially during a pandemic, are always planning for contingencies".
With around 8,500 beds at 100 hospitals, Kenney said the province can likely dedicate 2,200 to 2,300 of those to COVID-19 patients.
Phase two will see 30% of the population vaccinated between April and September, with the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force identifying priority groups based on information gathered in the first phase and input from Alberta's medical experts.
He said that there are 17,144 cases in Alberta and announced 1,685 new ones. As of Tuesday afternoon's update, there were 16,628 active cases in the province, with 479 people in hospital, 97 in the ICU. It has also sometimes led the country in total active cases.
Phase 3 should begin in the fall and will be when the vaccine will be offered to all Albertans, Kenney said.
Kenney began immediately by jumping into the current COVID-19 numbers in the province.
She added people can get together virtually or safely outdoors while social distancing.
However, critics called those measures insufficient, pointing out that restaurants, bars, casinos, gyms, many stores, places of worship and elementary schools remained open, albeit with restrictions.
Alberta is not alone in its plans for field hospitals.
