Workers needing COVID-19 proof 'in a lurch' as Alberta recommends rapid tests
As Alberta follows the lead of other provinces in setting aside COVID-19 PCR tests for people who are considered high risk, it's unclear how workers are supposed to prove they've tested positive.
The provincial government is recommending that most Albertans take rapid tests and stay home, but it's believed not all workplaces are accepting those results as proof of illness.
"Those individuals are really being put in a lurch until the government solves the problem of what to do about people whose employers or insurers are requiring proof of (PCR) COVID testing," said Lorian Hardcastle, a public health law expert in Calgary.
The province's top doctor admitted Tuesday that officials need a better way to provide people with documentation.
"Omicron has moved very fast, much faster than any previous wave we've ever dealt with," Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province's chief medical officer of health, said on Tuesday.
Labour Minister Tyler Shandro was not at the Tuesday briefing, and he hadn't tweeted anything since Dec. 21.
"I think the government should consider some form of self reporting. One way would be to do a test and take a photograph of the two lines on the rapid test," suggested Dr. Noel Gibney with the Edmonton Medical Zone Staff Association.
A Calgary woman who tested positive for the virus in December 2020 said she's still on disability because of its long-term effects.
"It's really hard to explain to others how non-linear this 'recovery' is," Sarah Bara told CTV News.
Bara, a member of a long-haulers support group, suffers chronic headaches, brain fog and extreme fatigue, and needed her PCR results to go on disability.
"I had to show a PCR test, I needed my doctor to evaluate me, I needed a psychiatrist to evaluate me. It was many, many layers," she explained.
Premier Jason Kenney promised more information on the province's Omicron variant response later this week.
The government's guidance on testing is available online.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Touria Izri
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau and Harris? Poilievre and Trump? Here's who Canadians think would work best with: survey
As Americans prepare to elect their next president on Tuesday, new data from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians hold differing views as to which federal party leaders would be best suited to deal with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
B.C. port employers launch lockout at terminals in labour dispute with workers
Employers at British Columbia ports say they are going ahead with locking out more than 700 foremen across the province after strike activities from union members began.
Months after VRBO booking, Taylor Swift fan told home 'not available' during Vancouver concert
A frustrated Taylor Swift fan is speaking out after being pushed from a short-term rental she booked for the upcoming Vancouver leg of the superstar’s Eras Tour.
Felonies, assassination attempts and a last-minute change on the ticket leads voters to Tuesday's U.S. election
A campaign that has careened through a felony trial, incumbent being pushed off the ticket and assassination attempts comes down to Election Day on Tuesday.
Measles cases in New Brunswick more than double in three days
A measles outbreak declared in New Brunswick’s Zone 3 last week, which includes Fredericton and the upper Saint John River Valley, has more than doubled since last week.
Prison sentences handed down for sexually abusive London, Ont. parents
In handing down the sentences for two London parents, Justice Thomas Heeney told the court, "The facts of this case were the most egregious that I have encountered during my 26 years on the bench."
She was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about a year ago. Here's how her condition was reversed
A year ago, Lorraine O'Quinn was coping with stress, chronic illness and Type 2 diabetes. Then she discovered a health program that she says changed her life.
Surprise swing state? Iowa poll has Harris suddenly leading
Based on victories in the past two elections and polls leading up to Tuesday’s election, Donald Trump had seemed almost certain to win Iowa, but a new poll has Kamala Harris with a sudden three-point lead.
Russia suspected of sending incendiary devices on US- and Canada-bound planes, Wall Street Journal reports
Incendiary devices that ignited in Germany and the United Kingdom in July were part of a covert Russian operation that aimed to start fires aboard cargo and passenger flights heading to the U.S. and Canada, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday, citing Western security officials.