SHARE ON: |
| |
| |
 |
 |
|
|
Those were the words spoken by Dr. Joe Vipond, an emergency room physician in Calgary, who believes the Alberta government is putting the entire province at risk with its latest plan to eliminate COVID-19 quarantine rules.
“It’s insane, it’s this incredible experiment of how many people we can get sick, have long term disability and possibly die, like who does this to their own public? he said.
As of Thursday, the province announced quarantine for close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases will no longer be required, only recommended.
Beginning Aug. 16, isolation following a positive COVID-19 test will also no longer be required, although still strongly recommended.
Masks will still be required in hospitals and continuing care facilities, but the province-wide mandate will be lifted for taxis, transit, and ride-share, along with schools.
The decision is now striking a nerve with dozens of doctors including infectious disease expert, Dr. Leyla Asadi.
“It didn’t have to be this,” she tweeted.
“Our government and public health officials didn’t need to gamble like this. The choice isn’t between going back to lockdowns or stopping all public health interventions for a novel pathogen against which only 64 per cent of the population is immunized.”
Asadi particularly took issue with the province’s removal of routine asymptomatic testing for close contacts of COVID-19 and new protocols which won’t require contact tracers to call close contacts of the virus.
“We could have added on rapid tests, undertaken airborne mitigation strategies with better masks ventilation filtration, we could have paid people to take time off when sick,” Asadi tweeted.
SHANDRO: ‘DECISION BASED ON SCIENCE AND DATA’
When responding to questions from reporters Thursday morning, Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro commended the work of Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw
He says the decision to remove quarantine rules was discussed for weeks and months and made based on what Shandro calls a milestone in having 65 per cent of the population age 12 and up fully vaccinated.
“We live with a virus in our community and this is now a virus that is preventable by vaccines,” Shandro said.
“I’m not a physician, but this is a plan that is based on science and based on the data. We know throughout the last 16 months there are folks that have had anxieties on both ends of the political spectrum, who have had difficulty in believing the work that has been done in this pandemic response, but this is work that was done by public health based on the signs and baseline data.
Shandro says it was irresponsible for people to target Hinshaw’s work on the pandemic file, noting that her deference, credibility and independence should be trusted.
The province says Hinshaw and about 16 public health experts in her office, along with others in public health, the Ministry of Health, and Alberta Health Services helped to make the decision.
CTV Calgary asked VP of Alberta Health Services, Dr. Mark Joffe if he was consulted and if he endorsed the decision.
“We were aware of the discussions ongoing,” Joffe said.
“The discussions occurred primarily with the public health teams, both within Alberta Health and within Alberta Health Services, so the public health teams were certainly involved, engaged, and consulted along the way.
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
6 am |
| -3 ℃ |
| SCATTERED CLOUDS |
WIND: SE 14 KM/H
GUSTING TO 25 KM/H |
|
|
 |
7 am |
| -2 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
WIND: SE 17 KM/H
GUSTING TO 30 KM/H |
|
|
|
8 am |
| -2 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
WIND: SE 19 KM/H
GUSTING TO 34 KM/H |
|
|
 |
9 am |
| 0 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
WIND: SE 21 KM/H
GUSTING TO 38 KM/H |
|
|
|
10 am |
| 3 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: SE 23 KM/H
GUSTING TO 41 KM/H |
|
|
|
11 am |
| 5 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: SSE 24 KM/H
GUSTING TO 44 KM/H |
|
|
|
12 pm |
| 7 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: SSE 20 KM/H
GUSTING TO 34 KM/H |
|
|
|
1 pm |
| 9 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: SSE 21 KM/H
GUSTING TO 34 KM/H |
|
|
|
|
TODAY |
HIGH OF 13 ℃
LOW OF -3 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
|
|
 |
MONDAY |
HIGH OF 10 ℃
LOW OF 1 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
|
|
 |
TUESDAY |
HIGH OF 4 ℃
LOW OF -1 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
|
|
|
WEDNESDAY |
HIGH OF 3 ℃
LOW OF -1 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
|
|
|
THURSDAY |
HIGH OF 4 ℃
LOW OF 0 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
|
|
|
FRIDAY |
HIGH OF 10 ℃
LOW OF 1 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
|
|
|
SATURDAY |
HIGH OF 16 ℃
LOW OF 8 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
|
|
 |
SUNDAY |
HIGH OF 15 ℃
LOW OF 7 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
| Save up to 25% on select tires & wheels |
| |
| Quality brands for every drive. Save up to 25% on select tires & wheels, backed by our 6-Year Tire Care Guarantee. |
| |
| Offer Expires on November 12, 2026 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
 |
EELKE KLEIJN
DRIVE
06:25 AM |
|
 |
TIGA
LOVE DONT DANCE HERE ANYMORE
06:22 AM |
|
 |
TATE MCRAE
RUN FOR THE HILLS
06:20 AM |
|
 |
ALAN WALKER
ME MYSELF AND THE NIGHT
06:13 AM |
|
 |
GRYFFIN
ALIVE
06:10 AM |
|
 |
STEVE AOKI
NEW BLOOD
06:07 AM |
|
 |
JOEL CORRY
WHISPER
06:03 AM |
|
 |
SUYANO
COLORS
05:59 AM |
|
 |
CHARLY LOWNOISE
BUTTERFLY
05:56 AM |
|
 |
KIDEKO
LOVING YOU
05:53 AM |
|
 
 |
