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Alberta Health Services has received more than 3,000 COVID-19 related complaints or requests in recent weeks.
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The calls were received between Sept. 16 and Oct. 5, spokesperson Kerry Williamson said. They include requests from the public requesting AHS Environmental Public Health (EPH) to verify whether businesses, facilities, operators, or events are complying with current COVID-19 public health measures, including masking, capacity, and collection limits, and the compliance with the exemption of restrictions. Program.
“If AHS becomes aware of a complaint, public health inspectors perform an education or advisory function as an initial step in responding. AHS does not issue fines or fines, ”Williamson said.
“The goal of the AHS Safe and Healthy Environments team is to protect the health and safety of Albertans. AHS public health inspectors always seek to work collaboratively with businesses and organizations to ensure the medical director’s compliance with current health orders and public health measures. “
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He said the health authority is committed to providing greater clarity to businesses, staff, customers and the public and only when a “significant risk” is identified or there is ongoing non-compliance will AHS resort to compliance measures.
“Continued noncompliance can result in EPH closure orders, litigation or fines issued by the police,” Williamson said.
“We would like to remind all Albertans that everyone has a responsibility to act and do what we can to protect the health of our communities and loved ones. The app is just one factor in our fight against COVID-19. “
Meanwhile, an Edmonton police spokesman said the service has not issued fines for public health acts since August, noting that the police are primarily involved in criminal matters, such as when a person refuses to wear a mask, what which could become a burglary complaint.
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On a recent Facebook Live, Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee said that law enforcement related to COVID-19 is something the service monitors closely, and he currently has a weekly call with other law enforcement services, AHS and Alberta Justice on the subject.
“Ideally, obviously, we are trying to educate compliance,” McFee said. “But I think as the province has progressed with some of the sanctions and different things, if it’s the part where we can’t get compliance, obviously it comes down to the perspective of enforcement.”
He said that, for the most part, city police are monitoring compliance with public health measures.
“Honestly, tickets are not very dissuasive,” McFee said.
“But the team’s approach, getting back to the whole thing when we get there, and you have a whole litany of potential ways that you can deal with that, whether it’s from a health perspective, a compliance perspective, a compliance perspective. prosecution, it could be a perspective of liquors and games, that’s where the gum kicks in and you start to find some solutions. “
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Jason Kenney said there wouldn’t be a police officer on every corner to make sure Albertans follow the rules over the long Thanksgiving weekend.
“We ask people to respect these rules,” he said. “Law enforcement agencies are there to ensure compliance, but in this complex and free society, we do not have the ability or intention to track what each of Alberta’s 4.5 million people does. “.
Reference-edmontonjournal.com