Alberta Medical Association head concerned over government lifting COVID restrictions
The head of the Alberta Medical Association says he has significant concerns with the province's decision to suspend almost all of its COVID-19 public health protocols.
In an open letter to members, Paul Boucher says the pace at which the United Conservative government is ending restrictions is troubling.
He says the government should release the data on which the decision was made.
Boucher adds the government's planned reliance on hospitalization data and monitoring wastewater for viruses isn't likely to provide enough information on the spread of COVID-19, especially as new variants take over.
The letter says easing back restrictions more slowly would be safer, easier on the health care system and cause less public worry.
Boucher says Alberta will eventually have to move away from pandemic measures, but concludes the government is doing so too quickly.
“The pace at which public health measures are ending is troubling,” he writes.
“I do not disagree that moving from pandemic state to endemic state is the future but would strongly advocate for a less precipitous approach.”
Boucher says he has shared his concerns with the province.
This week, Alberta announced that close contacts of people who test positive for COVID-19 are no longer legally required to isolate, nor are they notified by contact tracers.
As of Aug. 16, infected individuals won't need to isolate. Testing will also be curtailed.
- Alberta to eliminate COVID-19 quarantine rules as cases rise among the unvaccinated
- Dr. Hinshaw explains Alberta's easing of mandatory masks, isolation requirements
- 'The inevitable next step': Alberta health minister defends COVID-19 policy changes
The moves come as the province's active case numbers and infection rate increases.
The lifting of Alberta's restrictions has been viewed with concern by other top doctors.
Canada's Chief Medical Officer of Health Theresa Tam has warned against opening too quickly. The Canadian Pediatric Society has written to her Alberta counterpart Dr. Deena Hinshaw urging her to reconsider.
- 'Still a ways to go in Alberta:' Top doctors weigh in on plan to end isolation
- 'Throwing caution to the wind': Experts react to Alberta’s changing quarantine policy
- Doctors express outrage over Alberta's plan to eliminate COVID-19 quarantine rules
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.