Hajdu pens warning letter to Alberta while its top doctor defends ending COVID-19 orders
Alberta's top doctor is defending the province's plan to lift all its COVID-19 public health restrictions despite mounting concerns from physicians and political leaders across Canada, including federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu.
In a letter to Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro, Hajdu said she agrees with the Canadian Paediatric Society's description of the province's move as an “unnecessary and risky gamble.”
Hajdu said recent modelling for Alberta forecasts a more serious resurgence in cases fuelled by the Delta variant, and all governments need to take reasonable steps to protect Canadians.
“The vaccination campaign in Canada, one of the best in the world, has significantly changed the overall context of COVID-19 here,” wrote Hajdu. “However, it is still too early to declare victory.
“Many remain unvaccinated, creating the potential for outbreaks, and we need to increase first and second dose coverage in order to protect against a Delta-driven resurgence that could seriously impact our citizens and our health system capacity.”
Hajdu said she wants to better understand the rationale and science behind Alberta's decision.
Last week, the province ended contract tracing and said close contacts of people who test positive for COVID-19 are not required to isolate. And starting Aug. 16, those infected will no longer need to quarantine.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, told The Canadian Press on Thursday that the decision was made after her team reviewed data on age-specific outcomes related to COVID-19, vaccine effectiveness and modelling on transmission of the Delta variant and related health outcomes.
Hinshaw said they also studied other jurisdictions, like the United Kingdom, which saw an uptick in the Delta variant before Alberta, to determine risks related to eliminating restrictions.
“We expect that we'll see a rise in cases and they will continue to rise for about a month. But the impact on severe outcomes and on acute care will be greatly mitigated by vaccines,” said Hinshaw.
While Hinshaw acknowledged concerns from Albertans about the “hard and rapid shift,” she said timing is the most important question.
“What I think has not been a part of the conversation is the risk of maintaining the status quo,” she said.
If Alberta continues to treat COVID-19 as its biggest risk and focuses all of its resources on it, the province will accumulate a backlog of other problems, Hinshaw explained.
Dropping isolation, testing and contact tracing measures before the fall will help Alberta prepare for an expected spike in other respiratory illnesses, she said, and it will free up acute care and public health resources.
Hinshaw stressed, however, that people who get sick with COVID-19 or any other transmissible illnesses should isolate despite not being legally required to.
If Alberta's acute care system is again overwhelmed or a new variant poses a significant threat, Hinshaw said the province will reconsider reinstating public health measures.
Shandro declined to comment on Hajdu's letter Thursday, but criticized the federal minister on social media.
“Minister Hajdu noticeably neglected to write a letter to Saskatchewan despite (us) having similar approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Ms. Hajdu chose to target Alberta - the Trudeau Liberals' favourite punching bag,” he wrote, before condemning the federal government's track record on addressing COVID-19.
Shandro said Hinshaw and her team's recommendations to lift health measures are “in line with the science.”
In a recent editorial, Hinshaw apologized for causing some people “confusion, fear or anger” but said the changes will help support the whole health of Albertans.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.