Dr. Hinshaw explains Alberta's easing of mandatory masks, isolation requirements
Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health hosted an information session following the province's announcement it was changing its COVID-19 public health response.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced Wednesday afternoon the province would begin to handle COVID-19 like it handles other respiratory viruses, dropping its mask mandate, removing isolation and quarantining requirements, and ending asymomptomatic and close-contact COVID-19 testing in phases.
During an information session, she cited Alberta’s widespread vaccination rates as a reason for the new approach. According to Alberta Health, up to 95 per cent of all COVID-19 cases since July 1 have been people who were unvaccinated. Unvaccinated Albertans were also 94 per cent of COVID-19 cases who needed hospital care and 95 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths, since July 1.
“This is a major, major shift,” Hinshaw told her live audience. “We’re asking people to integrate that risk of COVID-19 into other risks and to not see it as the primary number one risk that all other things are secondary to.”
The top doctor says there will be a surge in other respiratory viruses come fall, and the province is shifting away from treating COVID-19 as the highest risk but rather one risk among many.
“We only have a limited amount of resources,” said Hinshaw. “And if all we focus on is COVID-19, we’re allowing many other things to go without intervention. From a population level, that’s going cause more harm than good.”
RISE IN CASES, CONCERN
Hinshaw noted a significant amount of concern in the questions raised by primary care physicians while concluding Wednesday evening’s session.
“I want to acknowledge that any course of action we’ve taken throughout COVID has never been risk-free,” said Hinshaw. “Every course of action we take comes with consequences both positive and negative, and it’s no different with this policy change.”
Intensive care unit doctor Dr. Darren Markland told CTV News Edmonton the changes will especially impact young children.
“It will have repercussions,” said Markland. “Especially in younger kids who now potentially can show up maskless, unvaccinated with symptoms, and there will be no repercussions – just spread.”
Noel Gibney, a professor emeritus at the University of Alberta's department of critical care, says the province's plan leaves too many unanswered questions.
"Why? Why are we doing these stupid things? Why are we going against all basic principles of public health?"
"It makes absolutely no medical sense."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
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.