A group of more than 430 Alberta physicians and three major health-care unions will send a letter to Premier Jason Kenney Thursday endorsing the idea of a “circuit-breaker” lockdown as cases of COVID-19 continue to surge in the province.
“There is no more time. We have to act now,” said Dr. Tehseen Ladha, who co-authored the letter. “We need something strong and mandatory in order to bend the curve.”
Though restrictions were not final as of Wednesday, officials said the measures were expected to be in line with the premier’s messaging over the past few weeks, involving modest and targeted measures — moves that officials emphasized do not constitute a lockdown.
Thursday’s letter also comes on the heels of a separate letter signed by more than 70 physicians earlier this week, which warned that the province’s acute-care system could be overburdened if strict restrictions weren’t implemented.
Doctors warn of health system crisis
In the letter, the signatories say they feel it is their duty to warn of the “impending health system crisis” resulting from the spread of COVID-19 in Alberta.
“We have reached a juncture where only strong and decisive mandatory measures can prevent our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed,” the letter reads.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is being urged in the letter to implement a ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown, on the heels of a similar call made by dozens of doctors earlier this week. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)
Those measures, which the letter says should be time-limited, include:
Directives to work from home for those who are able.
The limiting of contacts to those within the household or a support bubble.
Restrictions on group recreation and sports activities.
The suspension of group indoor activities, including indoor dining, bars, casinos, religious services and theatres.
Schools should be kept open for in-person learning, the letter says, “due to their vital importance.”
The letter goes on to cite Alberta’s rise in cases, high levels of test positivity and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions.
“Even if transmissions drop today, hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths will continue to rise for weeks as current infections progress,” the letter reads.
Circuit-breaker lockdown
In the view of the doctors, a circuit-breaker lockdown would consist of strict, time-limited measures that would help prevent a complete lockdown should the health system become overwhelmed.
“The time for incremental measures has passed, and voluntary measures, requested October 9, have not blunted the rise in cases,” the letter reads. “Our testing system is strained, and contact tracing [capabilities] have collapsed.
“We see no other way to break chains of transmission and decrease cases, than to implement a ‘circuit breaker’ of short, strict measures.”
As COVID-19 cases continue to surge across Canada, provinces are implementing the short, sharp “circuit-breaker” lockdowns to fight the spread of the virus and prevent health-care systems from being overwhelmed. 1:58
“We’re not going to be sending out police to monitor this,” Kenney said. “As much as what we’ve done, this is appealing to people to exercise personal and collective responsibility, so that we can avoid having to use more stringent measures.”
On Wednesday, officials told CBC News that new measures set to be announced on Thursday by Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health, could include capacity limits on worship services and fitness classes.
Businesses could also see reduced capacity or operating hours, but one official said no business closures are expected to be announced.
The letter released Thursday indicates it recognizes that suggested restrictions under a circuit-breaker lockdown would also present their own harms, and urges the government to provide support to impacted businesses.
“The evolving evidence suggests that strong, time-limited measures will not only minimize the second wave but could prevent the need for the complete lockdowns that become inevitable when the health system becomes overwhelmed,” the letter reads.
“A failure to control COVID-19 spread means we cannot expect our economy to recover quickly or strongly.”
Dr. Jim Kellner, an infectious disease specialist in Alberta, is concerned about rising COVID-19 case numbers and their impact on hospitals two to three weeks from now. 0:29
3 health-care unions endorse letter
Ladha said the letter had also been endorsed by the United Nurses of Alberta, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, which together represent more than 100,000 health-care workers.
“We think it’s imperative that action is taken now,” said Heather Smith, president of the United Nurses of Alberta. “We think it would be a responsible thing, for the premier to show leadership.”
Ladha said part of the purpose of the letter is to get the word out to the public.
“The majority of people that actually work in the health-care system that are seeing these numbers, that are seeing the strain that we’re under in the hospitals, know that this is an impending crisis,” she said.
Heather Smith, president of the United Nurses of Alberta, says she thinks that it is ‘imperative’ that action be taken now as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Alberta. (CBC)
At Monday’s press conference, Hinshaw said the idea of a circuit-breaker lockdown was an interesting one, adding the province would continue to consider all its options.
“We need to look at all options on the table … including what we’re doing now, which is giving Albertans every opportunity to walk along with us, to come alongside and be a part of the solution before we impose restrictions,” she said.
Alberta reported 672 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, and seven more deaths to COVID-19 — the third day in a row the province reported seven new deaths in one day.
Read the full text of the letter below: November 12, 2020
The Honourable Jason Kenney MLA
Premier, Province of Alberta
Office of the Premier
307 Legislature Building
10800 – 97 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2B6
C.C. Honourable Tyler Shandro MLA, Minister for Health; Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Chief Medical Officer of Health
Dear Premier Kenney,
As health-care workers we feel it is our duty to warn of the impending health system crisis resulting from the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in Alberta. We have reached a juncture where only strong and decisive mandatory measures can prevent our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed.
We therefore urge the Government of Alberta to institute a set of time limited public health restrictions that would consist of:
Directives to work from home for anyone who is able.
Limiting contacts to those within the household or support bubble.
Restrictions on group recreation/sports activities.
Suspension of group indoor activities (including indoor dining, bars, casinos, religious services, and theatres).
Due to their vital importance, we should aim to keep schools open for in-person learning options.
We are seeing an exponential rise in cases, high levels of test positivity, and already have almost double the number of hospitalizations seen in the first wave. Intensive care unit admissions and deaths have also increased markedly in the past week. Even if transmissions drop today, hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths will continue to rise for weeks as current infections progress.
There are outbreaks in at least nine acute care hospitals, endangering vulnerable patients and resulting in bed and staffing shortages. As staff become ill or must quarantine, we do not have appropriately qualified individuals to fill their roles. Outbreaks in care facilities are also worsening bed shortages in hospitals as patients cannot return to their care facility where there is an outbreak.
The Edmonton zone has already deferred 30 per cent of non-urgent surgeries to account for the burdens on the health system. More delays of foundational health services (surgeries, cancer screenings, and diagnostics) will be imminent and will be severely consequential if we do not act now.
We have witnessed how quickly hospitals in Winnipeg, the United States, Belgium, and Austria have become overwhelmed. The time for incremental measures has passed, and voluntary measures, requested October 9, have not blunted the rise in cases. Our testing system is strained, and contact tracing capacities have collapsed. We see no other way to break chains of transmission and decrease cases, than to implement a “circuit breaker” of short, strict measures. Similar restrictions have been recently implemented in Winnipeg, Toronto, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
We recognize that these restrictions have their own harms, and we would urge the government to provide supports for businesses impacted by these restrictions. The evolving evidence suggests that strong, time-limited measures will not only minimize the second wave but could prevent the need for the complete lockdowns that become inevitable when the health system becomes overwhelmed. A failure to control COVID-19 spread means we cannot expect our economy to recover quickly or strongly.
We are proud of Alberta’s health system and the quality of care we provide, but we believe that it is in grave jeopardy unless urgent action is taken. Please help us continue to care for the people of Alberta safely.
Manisha Khurana, MD, CCFP, FCFP (Family Medicine Care of the Elderly) Jayan Nagendran MD, PhD, FRCSC (Surgical Director of Lung Transplantation and Director of Research, Division of Cardiac Surgery)
Jaime C. Yu, MD, MEd, FRCPC (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) Jose Fernandez de Lara Nieto, MD, CCFP, FRCSC (Obstetrics and Gynecology) Lesia R. Boychuk, MD, FRCPC (Infectious Diseases)
Jeffery M Patterson, MD, FRCPC (Oncology)
Samina Ali MD, FRCPc (Pediatric Emergency Medicine)
Jen Riess, MD, CCFP (Family Physician)
Adam Burgess, MD, CFPC (Family Medicine)
Ian M. MacDonald, MD, CM, FRCSC, FCCMG, FCAHS (Ophthalmology) Lovneet Hayer MD, FRCPC (Psychiatry)
Stephen Kwan, MD FRCS(C) (Othropaedic Surgeon)
Pablo Amigo, MD, MCFPC. (Palliative Medicine)
Shelina Jamal MD FRCPC (Pediatric Critical Care Physician) Alexandra McFarlane, MD, FRCPC (Infectious Diseases)
Ernst Schuster, MD, CCFP, FCFP, CCPE (Family Medicine)
Skinstitut Holiday Gift Kits take the stress out of gifting
Toronto, October 31, 2024 – Beauty gifts are at the top of holiday wish lists this year, and Laser Clinics Canada, a leader in advanced beauty treatments and skincare, is taking the pressure out of seasonal shopping. Today, Laser Clincs Canada announces the arrival of its 2024 Holiday Gift Kits, courtesy of Skinstitut, the exclusive skincare line of Laser Clinics Group.
In time for the busy shopping season, the limited-edition Holiday Gifts Kits are available in Laser Clinics locations in the GTA and Ottawa. Clinics are conveniently located in popular shopping centers, including Hillcrest Mall, Square One, CF Sherway Gardens, Scarborough Town Centre, Rideau Centre, Union Station and CF Markville. These limited-edition Kits are available on a first come, first served basis.
“These kits combine our best-selling products, bundled to address the most relevant skin concerns we’re seeing among our clients,” says Christina Ho, Senior Brand & LAM Manager at Laser Clinics Canada. “With several price points available, the kits offer excellent value and suit a variety of gift-giving needs, from those new to cosmeceuticals to those looking to level up their skincare routine. What’s more, these kits are priced with a savings of up to 33 per cent so gift givers can save during the holiday season.
There are two kits to select from, each designed to address key skin concerns and each with a unique theme — Brightening Basics and Hydration Heroes.
Brightening Basics is a mix of everyday essentials for glowing skin for all skin types. The bundle comes in a sleek pink, reusable case and includes three full-sized products: 200ml gentle cleanser, 50ml Moisture Defence (normal skin) and 30ml1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum. The Brightening Basics kit is available at $129, a saving of 33 per cent.
Hydration Heroes is a mix of hydration essentials and active heroes that cater to a wide variety of clients. A perfect stocking stuffer, this bundle includes four deluxe products: Moisture 15 15 ml Defence for normal skin, 10 ml 1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum, 10 ml Retinol Serum and 50 ml Expert Squalane Cleansing Oil. The kit retails at $59.
In addition to the 2024 Holiday Gifts Kits, gift givers can easily add a Laser Clinic Canada gift card to the mix. Offering flexibility, recipients can choose from a wide range of treatments offered by Laser Clinics Canada, or they can expand their collection of exclusive Skinstitut products.
Brightening Basics 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut, available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.
Hydration Heroes 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut – available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
___
Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
The Canadian Paediatric Society says doctors should regularly screen children for reading difficulties and dyslexia, calling low literacy a “serious public health concern” that can increase the risk of other problems including anxiety, low self-esteem and behavioural issues, with lifelong consequences.
New guidance issued Wednesday says family doctors, nurses, pediatricians and other medical professionals who care for school-aged kids are in a unique position to help struggling readers access educational and specialty supports, noting that identifying problems early couldhelp kids sooner — when it’s more effective — as well as reveal other possible learning or developmental issues.
The 10 recommendations include regular screening for kids aged four to seven, especially if they belong to groups at higher risk of low literacy, including newcomers to Canada, racialized Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. The society says this can be done in a two-to-three-minute office-based assessment.
Other tips encourage doctors to look for conditions often seen among poor readers such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; to advocate for early literacy training for pediatric and family medicine residents; to liaise with schools on behalf of families seeking help; and to push provincial and territorial education ministries to integrate evidence-based phonics instruction into curriculums, starting in kindergarten.
Dr. Scott McLeod, one of the authors and chair of the society’s mental health and developmental disabilities committee, said a key goal is to catch kids who may be falling through the cracks and to better connect families to resources, including quicker targeted help from schools.
“Collaboration in this area is so key because we need to move away from the silos of: everything educational must exist within the educational portfolio,” McLeod said in an interview from Calgary, where he is a developmental pediatrician at Alberta Children’s Hospital.
“Reading, yes, it’s education, but it’s also health because we know that literacy impacts health. So I think that a statement like this opens the window to say: Yes, parents can come to their health-care provider to get advice, get recommendations, hopefully start a collaboration with school teachers.”
McLeod noted that pediatricians already look for signs of low literacy in young children by way of a commonly used tool known as the Rourke Baby Record, which offers a checklist of key topics, such as nutrition and developmental benchmarks, to cover in a well-child appointment.
But he said questions about reading could be “a standing item” in checkups and he hoped the society’s statement to medical professionals who care for children “enhances their confidence in being a strong advocate for the child” while spurring partnerships with others involved in a child’s life such as teachers and psychologists.
The guidance said pediatricians also play a key role in detecting and monitoring conditions that often coexist with difficulty reading such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but McLeod noted that getting such specific diagnoses typically involves a referral to a specialist, during which time a child continues to struggle.
He also acknowledged that some schools can be slow to act without a specific diagnosis from a specialist, and even then a child may end up on a wait list for school interventions.
“Evidence-based reading instruction shouldn’t have to wait for some of that access to specialized assessments to occur,” he said.
“My hope is that (by) having an existing statement or document written by the Canadian Paediatric Society … we’re able to skip a few steps or have some of the early interventions present,” he said.
McLeod added that obtaining specific assessments from medical specialists is “definitely beneficial and advantageous” to know where a child is at, “but having that sort of clear, thorough assessment shouldn’t be a barrier to intervention starting.”
McLeod said the society was partly spurred to act by 2022’s “Right to Read Inquiry Report” from the Ontario Human Rights Commission, which made 157 recommendations to address inequities related to reading instruction in that province.
He called the new guidelines “a big reminder” to pediatric providers, family doctors, school teachers and psychologists of the importance of literacy.
“Early identification of reading difficulty can truly change the trajectory of a child’s life.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.
