Lethbridge rally protests lifting of COVID-19 rules
By Herald on August 6, 2021.
Protestors gather during the Friday noon hour at the Provincial Building downtown to express their concerns over the lifting of COVID-19 protocols. Herald photo by Dale WoodardDale Woodard – Lethbridge Herald
A group of protestors gathered Friday at noon in front of the Provincial Building to oppose the province’s decision to lift COVID-19 quarantine rules.
As of last Thursday, the province announced that quarantine for close contacts of those with COVID-19 will no longer be required to isolate, but it would be recommended.
As well, contact tracers will no longer notify close contacts, but will continue to investigate high-risk settings such as continuing care facilities.
Those regulations weren’t sitting well with the sign-carrying crowd Friday, most of them masked for the noon hour demonstration.
“This is just a collection of concerned Lethbridge citizens in regards to the recent announcement that Dr. Hinshaw, our Minister of Health and our premier made concerning, basically, that COVID is done and we’re on our own with no testing and no tracing and no isolating after Aug. 15,” said Barb Phillips, a local citizen. “It’s just sending our message that we care about kids, we care about the kids going back to school without all of these parameters we’ve lived with in the last 16 months.”
As of Aug. 16, isolation after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis will no longer be required, but would also be recommended.
“Because we’re not going to be isolating, my concern is if I’m sitting in a doctor’s office and the person sitting next to me is there to see if he has COVID, he may already have it, (and) he’s sitting next to me,” said Phillips. “I’ve had my double vaccination, but we have no way of knowing if we’re not testing, tracing and then isolating. So it’s a big concern. I live with an immunocompromised husband who has cancer (and) it’s a concern for the children going back to school as well in just a matter of weeks. All of those children under 12 are not vaccinated, we know because they can’t be.”
According to Alberta Health, the province has had 766 new cases in the past two days.
Friday’s numbers show 43 active cases in the City of Lethbridge. A week ago, there were 25 active cases in the city.
Phillips said citizens are simply asking the government to listen to the people.
“Most of this came out and we haven’t even seen the science. They say we’ll get the science in due time for what they’ve decided their COVID policy was going to be going forward. So the science is important, but also listen to the people. If we’re not comfortable maybe our wishes should sometimes be taken into consideration because this is our health, our children’s health.”
The Delta variant is “very unknown,” said Phillips.
“We don’t know how fast it’s spreading. If you’re double vaccinated you can still get the Delta variant, apparently. There are just too many unknowns right now.”
Protests like the one held Friday have been taking place in Edmonton, Calgary, Grande Prairie and Red Deer.
Phillips said from what she can see, those protests are growing.
After seven people up at last’s weeks protest, the numbers went up Friday.
“I hope it grows in Lethbridge and that it can be an every Friday protest. But I guess time will tell.”
Until then, Phillips stressed making their concerns heard.
“That’s the way a democracy works,” she said. “If you’re not pleased, you get out, you rally and you send your message the best way you can, whether it be signs or letters or Twitter. This is how you get your message out as to whether you’re pleased with your current government or not so pleased.”
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22-21
They changed the name of the FLU to COVID, enough of this nonsense. And the NDP should go away, they have proven to Albertan’s that they are useless.
Re: the NDP:
“More bad news for UCP as poll by Leger shows NDP leading in Edmonton, Calgary and even rural Alberta.”
http://www.albertapolitics.ca
And, re: flus and covid, they are classed scientifically according to which virus is involved….big difference, and the number of deaths as a result of covid or chronic long term effects are significantly more, than any caused by any type of influenza.
It’s hard to believe that such confusion over flu and COVID is still being circulated.
Here is a statement from the CDC (the emphasis is mine): “Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a coronavirus first identified in 2019, and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses.”
It is also beyond dispute that a person infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is more likely to experience a bad outcome as compared to being infected by an influenza virus. And it is well understood that while COVID-19 and flu symptoms are very similar, it generally takes longer after a person has acquired the SARS-CoV-2 virus to become symptomatic. During that period the infected person will be shedding the virus, in greater and greater amounts as their viral load increases, which is what the quarantine period is all about.
Hello.
You said, “It is also beyond dispute that a person infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is more likely to experience a bad outcome as compared to being infected by an influenza virus”.
I don’t agree or disagree to that, but I suspect quantifying such could be difficult given the vast amount of variables involved. Also, given such variables, it would be simple to cherry pick and/or lie by omission to get the desired results. Covid is a very polarizing issue, so it wouldn’t be hard to find “researchers” to prove the assertion, or disprove it.
We have available sophisticated diagnostic tests, so sorry, quantification is not at all difficult. It’s a matter of determining if the antibodies in a blood sample are the product to one being infected by a flu virus or with the virus that causes COVID-19.
So let’s look at some data. 2017 was a pretty harsh flu year. According to Alberta Health, we had 9,069 laboratory confirmed cases of flu, 3,053 hospitalizations, 242 ICU admissions and 92 deaths.
So far, COVID has claimed 2,325 people just in Alberta, and a total of 236,010 Albertans have tested positive for COVID.
To compare, 92 as a % of 9,060 is 1.03, and .2,325 as a % of 236,010 is 1.41, so COVID-19 is associated with a greater risk of a really bad outcome as compared to the flu.
I’m not trying to make a solid argument. That’s why I began my reply with, “I don’t agree or disagree to that”.
The way I’ve always approached this issue, is by looking into what effect Covid has on the vast majority of the population. The answer to that, is “not much”. Ditto for the flu. Granted, if the average person gets Covid, they do indeed have a higher chance of adverse effects following the infection (compared to the flu), but those adverse effects seem to be temporary and rare.
Let’s also keep in mind that whether it be the flu or Covid, those deaths are generally of those who were already near death. When you’re so ill that you’re at death’s door, then it’s going to be tough to narrow the death down to a virus, the other comorbidities, an extremely weak immune system, or a mosquito bite.
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“I’m not trying to make a solid argument.” Self awareness will set you free!
So they changed the name “Flu” to “COVID”? And your source is? Alex Jones, Fox News or simply a few words of wisdom mined from the depths of the internet. Real world answer: “Er “no” they did not.
And the NDP are “useless” . OK. A pretty neat segue from COVID to a reflection on a party not even in power when COVID was doing it’s worst.
The stunning stupidity of this crowd of “lock me up, I love it” people is difficult to believe. While lockdowns were in effect they hung on every word of Dr. Deena Hinshaw, however now that restrictions are being lifted, with a full scientific explanation , she is now regarded as Darth Vader. Give your hed a shake .