In the first pandemic announcement since the 29th of June, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer, said Wednesday they would be initiating a raft of changes to the province’s pandemic response.
Among the changes is that beginning today, health officials will not require close contacts of persons reported to have COVID-19 to isolate, except where the case is high-risk.
On the 16th of August, the province will eliminate the remaining restrictions.
Mask requirements for taxis, ride shares and transit will be removed, and those with minor symptoms will not be required to go for a test.
The government noted that it will continue monitoring server cases among persons below the age of 12.
The removal of testing requirements and capacity has concerned many parents, including Matthew Green, whose daughter, aged 6, will be resuming school at a local Edmonton public school.
He noted that his child is not eligible for immunization owing to age, neither are her classmates. What is really concerning Green is the fact that anyone suspected to be a COVID-19 case, those in close contact will not be isolated.
The government said it is not planning to institute a mask mandate in schools in the fall. Jonathan Tegtmeyer, of the Alberta Teacher Association, noted that this declaration is worrying. He added that the risk of COVID-19 remains for person below 12 and about 40 percent of all unimmunized teens.
Lindsey Kemp, mother of a five-year-old, hopes more parents and the public in general will come out and speak against the choice to have children return to schools in the fall without a solid health measure in place.
