Alberta would be better off if restrictions came sooner: Tam
Posted Sep 16, 2021 10:50 am.
Last Updated Sep 16, 2021 11:41 am.
OTTAWA – Alberta’s COVID-19 situation wouldn’t be so dire if decisive action had been taken sooner, says Canada’s top doctor.
Dr. Theresa Tam was asked about the state of the pandemic in Alberta during a national update Thursday morning.
She says a major takeaway from what’s happening in the province is if health measures are taken away too quickly and vaccinations aren’t going up fast enough, the Delta variant is given lots of room to spread.
What can be done for other regions to avoid following Alberta's lead?
Dr. Tam says where there is lower vaccination coverage, you will likely have to add extra measures.
Says the hot spots are mostly in Northern SK, Alberta- says Canada needs to learn from the west.
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) September 16, 2021
She says in places where vaccination rates are particularly low, tighter restrictions are likely needed to control the virus. And if you act early, you can avoid the more restrictive measures.
Dr. Tam asked about Alberta- what can be done to make up ground?
She says her key message is that they can prevent escalation with early actions, including rapid escalation in vaccinations, especially among young adults.
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) September 16, 2021
When it comes to making up ground lost thanks to the Kenney government’s “Open for Summer” plan, Tam says there needs to be a rapid escalation in vaccinations, especially among young adults.
Tam reiterates that masking and other measures we've been using are important for hard hit areas, saying vaccines will help long-term.
— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) September 16, 2021
However, it takes at least six weeks–two weeks after the second dose–for someone to be considered fully immunized, explains Tam, so even if vaccination rates explode, it would still be a while before Alberta sees the benefits.
In the meantime, people should be keeping to their bubbles and avoiding large gatherings to help reduce Delta’s accelerated spread.
-with files from Courtney Theriault
