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 Woodard

Dale 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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