Saturday, September 11, 2021

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Alberta health minister defends decision against COVID-19 vaccine passport amid repeated questioning

By Heide Pearson Global News
Posted September 10, 2021 

Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro was grilled again by reporters Friday over the province’s hesitation to adopt COVID-19 vaccine passports

Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro is continuing to defend the UCP’s decision not to implement a so-called vaccine passport and related restrictions, amid surging fourth wave COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Shandro has been asked repeatedly, specifically in the last two days, why the Alberta government has no current plans to introduce a proof of vaccination program.


HINSHAW SAYS DUH OH

READ MORE: COVID-19 ICU admissions slam Alberta hospitals; Hinshaw says ‘the move to endemic was too early’

During a news conference on Friday in Rocky Mountain House, Shandro was questioned again about whether Alberta will have a system similar to the one coming to B.C., where residents have proof of vaccination on either an app or a scannable card, and along with it, province-wide restrictions will be in place preventing unvaccinated people from entering some settings, like non-essential businesses.

“The answer is, is that right now, the first work to be done is for us to make sure that Albertans have their vaccine records in the palm of their hand, for us to come out like other provinces are doing,” he said.

“And I expected to be next week for the principal card, (the) same as B.C., which we’ll also be launching next week.”


Doctors warn of potential health care system collapse in Alberta


THE REPUBLICAN FORMULA APPLIED IN ALBERTA

When asked why Alberta wasn’t also introducing comparable restrictions along with the vaccine card, Shandro said the government is prioritizing ensuring that businesses or workplaces that want to implement their own restrictions, can do so quickly through a secure QR code.


“When it comes to the question of whether it’s going to be government mandated, we have — as we’ve communicated before, premier said before — we are right now enabling those workplaces and businesses to be able to make those decisions,” he said.

“We are going to continue to look at the evidence on how that affects our vaccine uptake. If there is evidence… as we see the vaccine passports, as they are enabled in other provinces, I’m happy to look at that information.

“But at this time, we have made the decision for these decisions (to) be led by those workplaces and by those businesses.”


Health minister says Albertans will have ability to show COVID-19 vaccine status without mandating passport


He was then asked about evidence from other provinces, like Ontario, B.C. and Manitoba, where the introduction proof of vaccination programs led to an uptick in vaccinations.

At that point, the minister’s press secretary attempted to stop the reporter and move on to the next question in the queue.

When the reporter said, “Just one more question, I drove all the way to ask him,” the press secretary could again be heard saying to move on to “the next question please.”

“The evidence is out there. People are out there dying right now, Minister. They are dying. Time for action, that’s what Albertans are saying. So why are you delaying this?” CBC provincial affairs reporter Michelle Bellefontaine is heard saying before the press secretary again tries to move on to the next question.

Shandro insisted on answering the question, however, and stated he’s also heard these concerns from other Albertans.

“It’s good feedback for us to get, I appreciate that feedback,” he said.

“As I made the commitment that we are going to continue to look at that evidence, and we will continue to work with our public health officials on the question, so thank you.”

READ MORE: COVID-19: Alberta records 10 more deaths as hospitalizations, ICU admissions keep rising

As of Friday, 686 Albertans were in hospital because of COVID-19, with 169 being treated in ICUs. That’s a jump of seven hospitalizations and 15 ICU admissions in 24 hours.

The province also reported 1,473 new COVID-19 infections, as well as 10 more deaths.

Of the Albertans eligible to receive the vaccine, 70.9 per cent were fully vaccinated as of Friday, and 78.9 per cent had received at least one dose.

Shandro was also asked Friday about the $100 incentive that was announced last week, aimed at getting unvaccinated Albertans out to get the jab, however, has not resulted in a significant increase in the vaccinations.

READ MORE: Days into Alberta’s $100 COVID-19 vaccine incentive, experts say initiative is futile, insignificant

The health minister did not provide any official numbers on the rate of vaccination in the province, and instead vaguely referenced media reports from Medicine Hat, saying anecdotally, the region saw a 13 per cent increase in vaccinations after the incentive was announced.

“I know that incentive program like that is frustrating for Albertans. I’m frustrated by the fact that we had to get to the point where we’re coming out with an incentive program like that,” he said.

“So I appreciate (that) everybody who did the right thing and got the jab in their arms is frustrated that we’re now having to incentivize those who haven’t.”


‘I’m frustrated we had to’: Alberta health minister defends COVID-19 vaccine incentive


Shandro said from what he’s seen, there have been “some increases” in vaccinations, and the Ministry of Health will “continue to be be interested in seeing how further those increases go.”

When asked whether the government would consider increasing the amount of money attached to the incentive, Shandro said no, adding that officials will be looking at areas with low vaccination rates and how to incentivize those residents to get their shots.

© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
  

Alberta digs in heels against vaccine passports as early data on $100 gift cards for jabs shows slight uptick in appointments

By Kieran Leavitt
Edmonton Bureau
Thu., Sept. 9, 2021

EDMONTON—Alberta is, so far, remaining steadfast in its stand against vaccine passports while hospitalizations threaten to overwhelm a provincial health-care system that’s postponed many non-emergency surgeries this week.

At a Thursday press conference, Dr. Verna Yiu, president of Alberta Health Services, warned the health-care system “is experiencing significant capacity challenges.” She added the health authority was doing all it could “particularly in our ICUs, where pressure on our staff, physicians and resources is intense.”

The province is dealing with a staggering fourth wave of COVID-19 cases that’s been growing for weeks. Health officials and Premier Jason Kenney, who have made only rare appearances in public in recent weeks, have been widely criticized for not acting quickly enough or adding more measures to help.

Both Ontario and B.C. have seen upticks in vaccination appointments after announcing vaccine passports required for some indoor spaces. Meanwhile, while Alberta saw a jump in appointments after announcing their strategy — paying people $100 to get a shot — experts say it isn’t to the degree other provinces have seen and that the province should be bringing in more health measures.

As of Thursday, Alberta’s intensive care units were at 87 per cent capacity, said Yiu. That number includes the 93 beds that have been added as surge capacity on top of the usual 173 ICU spots. Of the 231 people in an intensive care unit, 70 per cent of them have COVID-19, said Yiu, and most of them are unvaccinated.

For much of the province, many non-emergency surgeries have been postponed, including all such surgeries in the Calgary health zone.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro was asked at the press conference on Thursday about bringing in vaccine passports but held firm on the line provincial officials have been saying for weeks: businesses or event organizers could require them if they wanted; but he didn’t give any indication the province would require them.

The comment is line with those by the premier, who has questioned whether passports would violate the Health Information Act.



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When a reporter asked Shandro if decisions about public health are being driven by political calculations, Shandro said he and the premier have always made decisions “based on public health.”

“I think, quite frankly, the biggest criticism of us over the last 18 months is that we have not been making our decisions political enough,” he said.

In July, Alberta lifted nearly all public health restrictions on Canada Day as Kenney and his government labelled the summer Alberta’s Best Summer Ever.

Then for weeks in August, Kenney, Shandro and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw were not making public appearances even while the province wracked up almost a third of the country’s active cases.

At Thursday’s press conference, Hinshaw said she looked at evidence, consulted with colleagues and watched modelling in early summer — all which led her to recommend that Alberta move toward “endemic” at the outset of summer.

“Clearly, the move to endemics was too early,” she said.

“It is, of course, up to Albertans to determine where they want to put their trust. All I can do is continue to show up, continue to do my best every day with my professional judgment.”

During the weeks of absence, intensive care units across Alberta saw capacity at 95 per cent and Alberta Health Services started to postpone elective surgeries across the province.

Meanwhile, the uptick in cases has shown no sign of slowing down.

Alberta has seen more than 1,000 new COVID-19 daily cases on average for the last two weeks, with more than 600 people now in hospital with the illness.

In a bid to boost vaccinations last week, Kenney announced that people who get jabbed between Sept. 3 and Oct. 14 would be eligible to receive a $100 debit card from the province. The government also brought back a provincial mask mandate and put a 10 p.m. curfew on liquor sales.

Alberta has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country with just over 70 per cent of eligible people being fully vaccinated.

Other provinces have seen success in boosting vaccine uptake by using a passport system that bars unvaccinated people from public spaces and restaurants.

The same day B.C. announced its vaccine passport system, there were 8,909 new registrations for the province’s vaccine program and 7,347 new appointment bookings, representing a 174 per cent and 88 per cent increase compared to the previous week, respectively.

The following day, there were 10,175 registrations and 9,486 new appointments, a 201 per cent and 124 per cent increase.

Ontario saw 3,479 bookings on Aug. 31, according to CTV, and on Sept. 1, when its vaccine passport program was announced, bookings jumped up to 7,125.

In Alberta, vaccine appointments got a bump after the gift card rollout as well, according to data provided to the Star by Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services — though experts are divided on what the data means.

On the Saturday and Sunday prior to the gift card announcement on Sept. 3, there were 1,750 and 1,667 vaccine appointment bookings online, respectively. Vaccine appointment booking numbers, as well as doses administered, are usually lower on weekends.

The Saturday and Sunday after the Sept. 3 announcement (which fell on the Friday) saw 3,001 and 2,145 vaccine appointment bookings, respectively. That’s a 71 per cent jump on the Saturday and a 28 per cent hike on Sunday.

Looking at data from each day between Aug. 28 and Sept 7, Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Toronto, said it “looks like a pretty significant boost in vaccinations on most days” after it was announced that people could get $100 for a jab.

However, while the cards could be a “cost effective” initiative to encourage some people to get vaccinated, he said it should be part of “a bigger plan” of encouraging people to get vaccinated.

“Some of them are carrots and some of them are sticks — this is a carrot,” said Bogoch.

But Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases expert with the University of Alberta, said that while the trend is “unclear,” she said “given that other places saw a doubling of bookings quite quickly — we aren’t seeing that” in the data so far.

She said it’s time for Alberta to bring in a vaccine passport system like what’s been introduced in Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and B.C.

“Things are really dire here right now,” she said. “Anything that potentially could help increase population protection would be an advantage, and sooner, rather than later, would be very important.”

With files from The Canadian Press


Kieran Leavitt is an Edmonton-based political reporter for the Toronto Star. Follow him on Twitter: @kieranleavitt



  

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