Alberta's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, updates media on the COVID-19 situation in Edmonton on Friday, March 20, 2020. Two southern Alberta churches and three individuals are to be in a Calgary court today to argue that the province's COVID-19 restrictions "cancel Christmas" and infringe on their constitutional rights. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson CALGARY - A judge rejected a request Monday from two Alberta churches and three individuals to temporarily suspend selected public-health rules to "save Christmas." The measures limit Christmas celebrations to individual households, restrict weddings and funerals to 10 people and prohibit outdoor gatherings. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced the stricter rules to try to bring down stubbornly high COVID-19 cases and to ease pressure on hospitals.