With less than a month before children go back to school, more Alberta doctors are adding their voices to those pleading with the province to continue strong public health measures as new COVID-19 infections continue to be reported.
In a letter penned to Premier Jason Kenney Monday, the Alberta Medical Association’s section of pediatrics said its members want continued COVID-19 testing in the community, contact tracing and mandatory isolation for positive cases.
The province lifted all restrictions, including those protocols, July 29.
The group said the move will accelerate the spread of the Delta variant and put children who can’t be vaccinated yet at high risk.
It also pointed out Alberta currently has the highest number of active cases in Canada, and the R value of 1.5 is the highest it’s been throughout the pandemic.
The doctors also said there will be a spiral effect to lifting all restrictions: removing health measurets means families aren’t able to make proper decisions regarding risk, and may choose to limit their childrens’ activities, leading to negative impacts on mental health and development.
The doctors also said marginalized families will be disproportionately affected by the lack of measures since they often can’t choose to keep their children home from school or daycare at times of high community transmission.
The Canadian Paediatric Society penned a similar letter last month, stating that “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 AMA is asking the government to continue with strong public health measures until Alberta has either reached herd immunity — with 85 per cent of Albertans immunized — or the endemic phase of COVID-19, in order to keep children and their families safe.
“Failure to do so is an abdication of our responsibility to protect those who may not be in a position to protect themselves,” the AMA’s letter said.
Kenney said Monday he remains confident in his government’s decision to lift safety measures, despite growing concerns from physicians.
He said the province stands by the advice from Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, and added varied viewpoints on how to handle the pandemic come as no surprise.
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