Photo: Government of Alberta

By Shane Clausing

COVID-19 in Alberta

Hinshaw: “We are crossing a tipping point” as COVID-19 cases surge in Alberta

Oct 26, 2020 | 6:19 PM

Dr. Deena Hinshaw wasted no time in addressing the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases over the weekend during her update on COVID-19 on Monday, saying that with the rising number of cases, Albertans are facing a big challenge.

“You have heard me say many times that we need to achieve a balance between minimizing the risk of COVID-19 and minimizing the risk of harms of restrictions. This requires us to keep the spread of COVID-19 manageable. We have now crossed a tipping point and are losing the balance that we have been seeking.”

That statement came after Alberta had added 1,440 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, a record for new cases reported over the weekend for the province.

The province also broke a single day COVID-19 record on Saturday, with 572 new cases reported.

Hinshaw added that Albertans need to start respecting the virus, and respecting the virus means continuing to listen to public health guidelines.

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“COVID is a novel disease that is not just the flu. It has the ability to overwhelm our health system and weaken essential services if we let it do so. Respecting COVID-19 means taking public health advise seriously and taking care of not only ourselves, but also our communities by preventing transmission.”

With the steep jump in cases over the weekend, Hinshaw also discounted the idea that the province should take the “herd immunity” route, while also saying everyone should find more common ground when discussing the issue of COVID-19.

“We are increasingly challenged by polarizing narratives that on the one hand say that we need to drive to zero cases at all costs, and on the other hand, say that COVID is a “mild” illness for most, so we should let it spread freely and pursuit herd immunity.”

“We are not well served by false dichotomies or by any positions that make it harder to have the respectful dialogue that a complex problem like COVID-19 represents.”

With that, Hinshaw said that Albertan’s need to continue to work together to keep everyone in our community safe.

“We cannot live in fear and terror of COVID-19 for months to come, yet we also cannot abandon our efforts to protect to most vulnerable members of our communities and to make sure that the health system can continue meeting all Albertan’s health needs.”

With the greatest rise in new cases cotninuing to come in Edmonton and Calgary, Dr. Hinshaw also announced that indoor social gatherings within the Calgary and Edmonton Zones are now limited to no more than 15 people.

Hinshaw also announced on Monday that Alberta Health Services is hiring more contact tracing staff. Currently 800 people are employed as contact tracers in the province.

Hinshaw also announced a change in contact tracing when it comes to someone becoming infected from a social gathering. She says that if a positive case attended an event while infectious, AHS would now notify the organizer and provide them with written notification that can be emailed directly to all event attendees.

Event organizers will need to send the emails within 24 hours of being contacted by AHS.