Restrictions fading, cases rising

By COLLIN GALLANT on July 30, 2021.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Hatters were still digesting news on Thursday that the province would wind up most COVID-19 restrictions and wind down a system meant to contain the spread of the disease.

The provincial health minister called it a logical step, but medical officials say its far beyond what virtually every other jurisdiction in North America is doing.

Calgary’s mayor Naheed Nenshi called it the “height of insanity” suggesting the province was trying to save money laying off contract tracers, no longer notifying close contacts to positives, and closing down COVID-specific testing and vaccination sites.

One Medicine Hat city councillor who led an effort to bring in a local mask bylaw when cases spiked last December told the News that similar measures this fall may not be required, but are available if needed.

Coun. Robert Dumanowski said the community is likely split on the changes, but he hasn’t yet heard a lot of feedback.

“The times require government to be nimble and responsive,” he said, stating he believed the province would reinstitute measures if needed, and they might be more effective.

The city enacted its bylaw three days before Alberta Health brought in a province-wide mandate, and the local ordinance expired last March with Alberta measures still in place.

“(The local bylaw) was the right decision at the time,” said Dumanowski. “If the situation presented itself again, and if the province was slow to respond, then we could act.”

Cases are again rising in Medicine Hat – which is now the fourth-most active community in Alberta for new infections – but no specific breakdown of cases for the area is available relating to hospitalization or vaccination status.

Active cases in the Hat rose to 57 on Thursday, up by 12 from the previous day, to sit three times higher than one week ago.

Across Alberta, more than 90% of the recent cases, hospitalizations and deaths involved unvaccinated individuals, Dr. Deena Hinshaw said Wednesday.

At a press conference in Edmonton on Thursday, Health Minister Tyler Shandro described the changes as a sort of natural progression as vaccination numbers increase.

“We’ve seen for the last 16 months that we have many different opinions in the medical community, ad that’s to be encouraged,” he said.

“This is a new virus and these are questions that everyone else in the world had to learn about. It was more deadly and more infectious than others, including influenza, and that meant taking the very strong measures in 2020 and 2021.

“Now that we see it’s a virus that is preventable by vaccines – our focus was the stress on the healthcare system, now… the pressures on the health system are changing.”

He stated there is still a strong need for Albertans to book and get vaccinated.

Many question the rationale for standing down tracking and testing regimen.

Many of the changes took effect Thursday, and as of Aug. 16 masks will no longer be required on public transportation, in taxis or ride sharing services – one of the few areas along with medical settings where Alberta government health regulations still required them.

Officials at city hall in Medicine Hat were still developing a position on the transit issue Thursday afternoon.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents transit workers in the city, as well as educational assistants and some long-term care workers, reacted strongly on social media calling the raft of changes ill-advised.

Local school boards that are now planning the 2021-22 school year did not respond to calls for comment on Thursday.

Schools will not require mask-use, according to the province, and many parents reacted strongly against the change on social media, arguing that vaccines are not currently available to those under 12, and province-wide rules only recommend but do not require positive diagnosis to isolate.

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