'I don’t think COVID is done with them': Winnipeg doctor weighs in on loosened restrictions in Alberta
A Winnipeg doctor is weighing on the loosening of restrictions in Alberta, saying it seems “quite unwise” considering their rising COVID-19 case numbers.
“I think their provincial leaders want to be done with COVID,” said Dr. Anand Kumar, an ICU physician and infectious disease specialist.
“I don’t think COVID is done with them.”
On Wednesday, Alberta announced the province is shifting its public health response and lifting restrictions related to quarantine, isolation, and masks.
Some of the changes include not making people who test positive for COVID-19 quarantine anymore, though it will be recommended. Beginning on Aug. 16, masks also won’t be mandatory in public transit, rideshares and taxi cabs.
Alberta also said it is looking to transition from a pandemic strategy to an endemic strategy.
Kumar said an endemic strategy means letting COVID-19 run rampant for the most part. He added he doesn’t think other provinces will follow suit with this strategy.
“The endemic strategy definitely recognizes, as is going to be a fact, that without vaccine mandates this will become an endemic disease, that is to say, it will persist in the community long-term,” he said.
HOW WILL THIS IMPACT MANITOBA?
Kumar said he doesn’t think the loosened restrictions in Alberta will have too much of an impact on Manitoba.
“It could be to the extent that people in Alberta feel that they can be exposed and still come to Winnipeg and to Manitoba. I don’t think that will be a huge issue, I hope it won’t,” he said.
“The fact of the matter is, the level of activity in terms of COVID in the province is relatively similar, so my hope is it won’t have a significant adverse impact on us.”
As for whether Manitoba should loosen its restrictions, including its mask mandate, Kumar said the province should hold off for a little while.
“I think Manitoba is about two to three weeks behind Alberta, and we’re going to see an increase in cases, and that increase in cases is going to go up particularly rapidly once the schools open, because kids are unvaccinated,” he said.
- With files from CTV’s Renee Rodgers and Diego Romero.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
WATCH LIVE 'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
World's record-breaking hot temperature streak stretches through April
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday.