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Wednesday, March 24, 2021 Vol. 44, No. 12
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No Phase 3 as province hopes to avoid third wave of COVID Patricia Harcourt Editor
Those looking for the further lifting of health care restrictions were disappointed as the latest COVID19 update revealed an uptick in cases preventing it. While Health Minister Tyler Shandro wanted to blame the federal government for vaccine procurement delays, the province’s chief officer of Health took aim at people letting their guard down at social gatherings. Hinshaw attributed the rise in cases, including variants, to a “common thread” of pandemic fatigue. “People are letting their guard down because they are tired of the restrictions.” This is happening “wherever people are,” including homes, restaurants and recreational facilities. “They let their guard down and the virus spreads quickly,” within households. “Social gatherings are also doing it,” said Hinshaw, attributing this drop in attention to “driving the spread.” The variant “is more transmissible so it could become the dominant strain in the community,” she warned, adding that “the only way to slow the growth is to follow the public health measures. It spreads rapidly in places where people are not following the public measures.” “If the virus spreads right now the vaccine won’t catch up and people will end up in hospital,” she warned. Shandro also said that warmer weather is combining with people being tired of the pandemic. But he said “it would be irresponsible and unfair to Albertans to ease into Step 3.” Step 3 would have been allowed with 300 or fewer people in hospital along with a downward trend in case numbers. If implemented, it would have allowed the lifting of more restrictions for places of worship, movie theatres, casinos, racing centres, adult team sports and libraries.
But the province has decided the trend is going up and more lifting of restrictions would be hazardous. Shandro didn’t blame the virus as much as he blamed the federal government for failing to supply more vaccine. “Alberta would have had way more vaccinated and we would be opening up by now if we had those vaccines,” he said. The Cabinet Covid Committee met earlier in the day to decide what is best regarding further rollout
of the 4-Step Path Forward plan of the provincial government to allow for lifting of restrictions based on science and safety. Step 3 would have allowed for private indoor social gatherings with certain restrictions. But Shandro said this “provided an opportunity for the virus to spread” at a time when there is an uptick in cases, including the variants of the disease. “Hospitalizations are rising in recent days,” he See PHASE 3 P12