Copping Hits Healthcare Workers Opponent COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate As Alberta ICU Treats 268 Patients

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Claims by healthcare workers opposing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all Alberta Health Services employees are dangerous and misleading, Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping said, as admissions to the intensive care unit reach a record.

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In an open letter dated Sept. 20, a group calling itself Health Professionals United and claiming to represent healthcare workers opposed the requirement to be fully immunized against COVID-19 by Oct. 31.

The letter has more than 3,500 signatories, including 73 doctors and 1,100 nurses. Many of those who signed did not provide their full names.

At the time of the announcement, AHS said the decision to require vaccination is due in part to healthcare workers having an “ethical and professional responsibility to protect others” and vaccination is a tool to help do so.

AHS already requires vaccinations for front-line employees. Staff who are not immunized against influenza, for example, may be assigned to other areas or have work restrictions. New hires must also provide proof of vaccination for other diseases such as measles and hepatitis B.

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Any employee who cannot be immunized against COVID-19 due to a medical reason or for reasons under Alberta Human Rights Law will be “reasonably accommodated.”

in a statement In response to the letter issued Wednesday, Copping said his concern is the message the open letter sends to the 630,000 Albertans who are eligible to be vaccinated but have not yet done so.

“I think most of them are sincerely unsure and seeking guidance, and I am deeply concerned that the letter may influence some of them to choose not to get vaccinated,” Copping said.

“That is a huge concern, because the claims in the letter are misleading or incorrect. So I want to speak directly to Albertans who are still considering getting vaccinated. I urge you to make your decision based on better information than this letter. Hear from our medical director of health, Dr. Hinshaw, or the countless other physicians, health professionals (as well as the universities that govern them) and scientists who publicly support vaccination. “

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As of Tuesday at the end of the day, 83.4 percent of eligible Albertans ages 12 and older have received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 74.2 percent are fully vaccinated.

Alberta reported 1,682 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. During the previous 24 hours, 15,025 COVID-19 tests were completed with a positivity rate of approximately 11 percent.

Across the province, there were 20,306 active cases on Wednesday, a decrease of 207 from Tuesday.

There are 1,084 Albertans hospitalized with COVID-19, a decrease from 16. Of those, 268 are in intensive care units, an increase of five and a record high. The previous record was reached on Monday, when there were 265 patients in the ICU.

Thirty-four more deaths brought the provincial death toll to 2,697.

AHS said in a statement Wednesday that doctors and staff at some intensive care units in the Edmonton area have been receiving harassing phone calls from people who question the number and capacity of patients.

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“It is unacceptable for someone to harass our staff and doctors; it is never acceptable and now it is unfathomable, “said the health authority.

“Overall hospital and ICU capacity in the Edmonton area and across the province remains high, with Edmonton currently at 87% and overall provincial capacity at 84%.”

Meanwhile, the Canadian Medical Association says there is an “unprecedented healthcare crisis” in Alberta and Saskatchewan as both provinces grapple with the fourth wave of COVID-19.

“The early relaxation of public health measures has left two health care systems in shambles in its wake and the dire realities are now on the horizon,” CMA President Dr. Katharine Smart said in a letter Wednesday. .

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The CMA calls on the provincial and federal governments to work together to increase vaccination rates through mandatory vaccination in health care settings, institute public health “firewall” measures to aggressively control COVID cases. -19, increase the mobility of medical care. workers between provinces and support the safe transport of patients to other jurisdictions that have ICU capacity.

The letter notes that any and all available measures must be taken to curb deaths, support workers, and address the consequences of patients whose care has been suspended while hospitals deal with the influx of COVID-19 patients. .

“This is a time for courageous action and for politics to get out of the way of necessary collaboration,” said Smart.

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“This is a time for governments, businesses and citizens to step up and do the right thing. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and that time is now. “

The Family and Rural Medicine Sections of the Alberta Medical Association also wrote an open letter to Alberta families, imploring them to follow public health guidelines to control COVID-19.

“As your family physicians, we know how important it is to follow public health measures, even if they seem to be constantly changing, with exemptions that are difficult to understand,” the letter says.

“Wear a mask, social distancing, and wash your hands. Stay home if you feel sick and isolate yourself if you test positive. Most importantly, remember that the decisions we make and the things we do to protect ourselves and others will have a measurable impact on what will happen next in this pandemic. “

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