Alberta doctors call for more action with health system 'on verge of collapse'
The chorus of doctors calling for the province to take further action grew louder Monday with open letters coming from ICU, paediatric doctors and the AMA.
They follow a fourth letter sent over the weekend by former Chief Medical Officer of Health for Alberta Dr. James Talbot calling for a "firebreak" to curb the rising case count and hospitalizations.
Alberta reported 5,201 new cases over three days including 23 more deaths. There are now 265 people in ICU with COVID-19.
Talbot said the province should immediately shut down all bars, indoor dining, and gyms, casinos, and sports facilities for four weeks to curb surging cases.
“Recognize that if you're indoors for more than 15 minutes at a time, that's where the highest risk of transmission is," Talbot said. "Let's close this window."
He had harsh words for the provincial government, calling its approach "delusional."
"They believe that you can create experienced ICU nurses, who require specialized training and a significant amount of experience, out of nowhere,” Talbot said.
"We're looking at a workforce that has spent 18 months working their asses off, who are worn out, who spent the first six months afraid for their lives and the lives of their loved ones," said Talbot. "(Doctors and nurses) have indicated every time there's been a surge that they need the government to act early and act effectively, only to watch the government fail to do both.”
COPPING RESPONDS
A spokesperson for newly appointed health minister Jason Copping said in a statement the province would continue to build ICU capacity, saying the measures currently in effect have worked to bend down previous surges and the government expects them to be effective again.
The Canadian Paediatric Society urged the Kenney government to take "immediate action to reduce the suffering of children, youth, and families across the province."
The letter released Monday said new daily COVID cases for children up to 11-years-old are now 10 times what they were in early August. It also says more active cases are reported in ages 19 and under than in people over the age of 50.
Children less than 12 years old are currently not eligible for the available vaccines. Initial trials are showing promise the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine could be proven safe in the coming months at a reduced dose for children ages five and older.
Some of the doctors have also called for mandatory vaccinations for all non-essential services and most employers.
The province says it will continue to encourage vaccine uptake. In comments on The Roy Green Show over the weekend, the premier said he is not considering any form of lock-down, saying it would only hurt the vaccinated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.