'Still a ways to go in Alberta:' Top doctors weigh in on plan to end isolation
Canada's top doctors say Alberta's decision to end isolation requirements for those who test positive for COVID-19, or who have been in close contact with someone who has, could have ripple effects across the country.
“I firmly believe that quarantine and isolation can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially in light of the spread of the Delta variant,” Theresa Tam, the country's chief public health officer, said Friday during a news briefing in Ottawa.
She urged people to continue isolating, get tested for COVID-19 and inform their close contacts even if it is no longer required.
Alberta announced earlier this week that close contacts of positive cases are no longer being notified of exposure by contact tracers, nor are they required to isolate. The government has also ended asymptomatic testing.
As of Aug. 16, individuals who test positive won't be legally required to isolate either, although it will still be recommended. Isolation hotels will close and quarantine supports will end.
Alberta's case levels have been rising and the Delta variant is now dominant.
Vaccination rates have begun to lag. About 75 per cent of eligible Albertans have received at least one dose of vaccine and 64 per cent are fully immunized.
That means there are hundreds of thousands of unvaccinated people in Alberta, Tam said, and there's the potential for large COVID-19 clusters and outbreaks.
“The bottom line is get vaccinated. There's still a ways to go in Alberta.”
The consequences of Alberta's decision could spread beyond provincial boundaries, added Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada's deputy chief public health officer.
“Everyone is alive to the fact that there could be, as they say, 'knock-on effects' to the other provinces and territories with travel within Canada,” he said.
Alberta's decision to lift all restrictions has been widely condemned by local leaders and health-care providers.
As well, the Canadian Paediatric Society has sent an open letter to Alberta's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, urging her to think twice about lifting isolation and testing requirements.
The letter called the move an “unnecessary and risky gamble.”
The society said children under the age of 12, who are unable to get the vaccination, will be particularly vulnerable.
“Dropping these public health measures, especially when we are in such a delicate phase of recovery, has the potential to worsen the spread of the virus and could jeopardize future recovery plans and supports,” the letter said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2021
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.