Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw. (Photo: Government of Alberta)

By The Canadian Press / David Opinko

COVID-19

Documents show recommendations, warnings from chief medical officer of health

Jul 14, 2022 | 2:16 PM

EDMONTON, AB – The Provincial Court of Alberta has released documents providing a glimpse into how Alberta’s United Conservative Party (UCP) government decided when to begin removing provincial COVID-19 restrictions earlier this year.

The release of the previously confidential documents comes after the parents of five immunocompromised children and the Alberta Federation of Labour sued the government over the decision to lift the mask mandate.

Premier Jason Kenney announced on February 8, 2022, that the province would be lifting the vaccine passport system and only five days later, end the school mask mandate.

The decision was made shortly after the UCP COVID cabinet committee met and weighed options presented by Health Minister Jason Copping on how to move forward as Alberta moved from the pandemic phase of COVID-19 to the transition phase to the endemic phase.

The document states Alberta would lead the way into the endemic phase with a “gradual removal of public health measures” to decrease risk.

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However, it warns that “lifting restrictions should begin only once pressures on the healthcare system have sufficiently eased and are likely to continue easing.”

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw provided recommendations to the government for going forward with lifting all restrictions, which included ramping up the capacity of the healthcare system.

She warned it would become overwhelmed and of additional waves due to increased exposure.

Hinshaw gave three options — removing most restrictions, including removing masks in schools in Step 1; keeping more restrictions in place and retaining the school mask mandate until Step 2; or leaving all decisions up to the cabinet.

The cabinet chose option three.

The government denies ignoring or overriding any of Dr. Hinshaw’s recommendations and says it stands by its decision to lift public health measures, including ending mandatory masking in schools.