'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
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.