Premier backs Alberta's top doctor, defends Alberta's response as COVID-19 cases rise
Premier Jason Kenney says he respects the advice of Alberta's top doctor to lift all COVID-19 public health orders, as local leaders and health-care experts from across the country continue to condemn the province's plans.
In defence of Alberta's move to end isolation requirements, contact tracing and asymptomatic testing, Kenney said Tuesday the decision was based on science and data. But he didn't provide specifics.
“People are understandably anxious about both the disease itself and the damaging affect of restrictions,” said Kenney.
He noted that Alberta's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, has previously commented about widespread vaccine coverage changing the nature of the provincewide risk of COVID-19.
“This was a package of measures that came forward from the chief medical officer and her team and we respect their data-driven, scientific advice,” said Kenney.
The comments were Kenney's first on COVID-19 since Hinshaw announced the restriction changes last Wednesday.
The ministry of health did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment about the specific data guiding Alberta's strategy. In a previous statement, Alberta Health acknowledged the province was one of the first to move forward with the approach and pointed to vaccine uptake.
Close contacts of individuals who test positive for the virus are no longer required to isolate, nor are they notified by contact tracers. Come Aug. 16, people infected with COVID-19 will also not be legally required to isolate - though it is recommended.
Kenney said Hinshaw presented the plan to members of the government July 8 and they accepted it without modification.
Health Minister Tyler Shandro similarly diverted to Hinshaw last week when he defended the province's response.
Hinshaw has previously said she presents the government with scientific evidence, numbers and trends, but the final decision on how to respond to pandemic developments lies with the province.
Dr. Lorian Hardcastle, a health policy expert at the University of Calgary, said Alberta is likely the first jurisdiction in Canada to eliminate all COVID-19 safety measures.
Many consider the move premature as cases continue to grow. Alberta recorded 743 new cases of COVID-19 over the last four days, bringing the active case count to 2,176.
“We have seen some American jurisdictions dial back their restrictions quite significantly, and have for quite a few months, but the reason this goes so far is it eliminates some of those basic public health measures,” said Hardcastle.
“The contact tracing, testing and positive cases staying home are really just fundamental public health restrictions.”
She said earlier steps to allow gatherings and businesses to reopen may have been a concern for individuals, but government officials often modelled the decisions on other jurisdictions.
“There was at least a point of comparison,” said Hardcastle. “In this case ... we're the guinea pig.”
Hundreds of Albertans have attended multiple protests in Calgary and Edmonton since Hinshaw announced the changes. Attendees have called on the province to walk back its plan.
Alberta's Opposition New Democratic Party is also calling for a public inquiry into Kenney and his United Conservative government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
Sarah Hoffman, who is deputy leader for the NDP, said an independent review is necessary. She said it's also needed because of reports the government won't release a report into the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Health Minister Tyler Shandro later said on Twitter that the interim report will be released later this week.
“It is clear that Albertans can no longer trust their own government to keep them safe,” Hoffman said.
“A full public inquiry is necessary because it allows Albertans to understand what happened over the course of this pandemic and to plan for the future, so we don't repeat the same poor decision-making process again.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2021
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.