As Canada wades deeper into the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alberta is the only province to hold out against implementing a provincial mask mandate.
According to sociologist Dr. Amy Kaler, that could be contributing to some Albertans’ complacency, and in certain cases defiance, of pandemic-related public health measures and municipal mask bylaws.
“It looks like… these are just weird, made up rules. Do we have a different virus in Edmonton than we do in Fort MacLeod?”
As of Friday, Alberta had 10,655 active cases of COVID-19. Of those, 8,960 — or nearly 82 per cent, have an unknown exposure to the virus, meaning contact tracers can’t pinpoint where or how the person contracted it.
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Kaler said it’s hard for people to make sense of having a “magic line” on the map where in one jurisdiction, people have strict cohort restrictions or there are curfews on restaurants and bars, but other municipalities have more relaxed guidelines.
3:49 ‘Where was the premier?’: Alberta political scientist questions Kenney’s absence amid COVID-19 spike
‘Where was the premier?’: Alberta political scientist questions Kenney’s absence amid COVID-19 spike
“The key with public health messaging… it has to be factual, clear, simple,” she said.
“And having these regulations here, there and all over, created by different groups of people with, what looks superficially to be kind of meaningless distinctions between one place and another — that’s the opposite of evidence based, clear and simple.”
Kaler said the government sets the baseline when it comes to things like public health measures, and said it’s time for a “strong statement” on masking, and other virus mitigation measures, as COVID-19 cases become more generalized throughout the population. Doing so, she said, would enhance public trust in the government’s pandemic response.
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“I think it’s a real dereliction of duty to to keep going back to: ‘Toughen up, be smart, make make the right choices, make the right decisions,” she said.
“I think that a display of resolve and commitment to something other than, ‘Well, individuals make their own choices,’ would be really important.”
1:22 Alberta Federation of Labour calling for lockdown amid COVID-19 spike
Alberta Federation of Labour calling for lockdown amid COVID-19 spike
In an emailed statement, Alberta Health spokesperson Zoe Cooper said the government’s focus is on urging Albertans to follow public health measures, including new ones introduced last week “specifically targeted to reduce the spread in areas where we are seeing an increase in cases.”
“Reducing the spread requires reducing the amount of time that Albertans socialize in close contact and we cannot monitor what people choose to do within their homes,” Cooper said. “We need Albertans to answer the call by following the measures in place and limit social and close contacts.”
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Cooper said the government supports the jurisdictions that have mandated masks, and will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 data and consider if adjustments are needed to the current approach.
3:42 How is Alberta doing a week into the new targeted COVID-19 restrictions?
How is Alberta doing a week into the new targeted COVID-19 restrictions?
When asked about a mask mandate on Friday, chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said “no decision has been made on whether a mask mandate would be part of any additional measures in the province.”
“We are watching neighbouring provinces and looking at the evidence so that we can consider options based on the evidence of effectiveness as well as the context in Alberta,” she said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that provinces don’t “need permission or direction from the federal government” to implement measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“I know that there are certain regions who have made decisions to protect and to close their own borders. The Atlantic bubble certainly didn’t happen because the federal government mandated it. The provinces in the Atlantic stepped up and limited travel in their bubble and it has worked very, very well,” Trudeau said.
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“They just did what worked for them. Our northern territories have regularly brought in restrictions to protect themselves as well. Provinces have lots of tools at their disposal.”
Cooper said “no single strategy can control this pandemic,” adding that non-medical masks are one tool the government encourages Albertans to use.
“Masks alone are not enough to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Cooper said. “Physical distancing is crucial to continuing to limit the spread of the virus.”
1:46 Hinshaw assures Albertans there are enough ICU beds for COVID-19
Hinshaw assures Albertans there are enough ICU beds for COVID-19
Kaler also said that without a mask mandate, the province is putting retailers, those in the hospitality industry and places like grocery stores and pharmacies in a position where they’re responsible for enforcing regulations.
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“That’s not their job,” she said.
“The job of ensuring that people are wearing masks, that we’re doing what we know, scientifically, has been shown to reduce COVID-19 and to turn this around — that job belongs to the provincial government.”
Kaler said the province also needs to “drain the political energy out of masks and the idea that you’re making a statement by wearing one or not wearing one.
“A provincial bylaw, I think, could help to move masks out of the category of: this [is a] political symbol, that if you’re wearing one, it means X, Y and Z about you,” she said.
“This is not a political symbol, this is just like a seatbelt. This is like what you do because it makes everybody safer.”
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
