Jagmeet Singh pens letter to Trudeau, Hajdu requesting federal support for Alberta amid fourth wave

CALGARY — Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has written a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu, urging them to provide help for Alberta as it continues to be rocked by the fourth wave of COVID-19.

Singh says the province’s government is unwilling to implement public health measures that will help prevent deaths, increased rates of infection and “the very real risk of variant development.”

“The number of COVID cases has exceeded all previous waves by exponential amounts. ICUs are on the very real point of collapse with a shortage of beds, healthcare workers, and medical equipment such as ventilators. Triaging has already begun to occur in most Alberta hospitals with severe consequences for Albertans,” said Singh.

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Singh says Jason Kenney and Alberta’s government have refused to accept staffing support from other provinces, and have refused to consider pleas from doctors and public health experts to introduce a circuit breaker lockdown.

“In the absence of any leadership at the provincial level, we urge the federal government to intercede to protect the lives of countless Albertans.”

Singh says they have spoken with hundreds of healthcare workers in Alberta, and their biggest concern is that with exhaustion and despair taking over their lives, they are worried they will begin to make mistakes.

“For most of us, a mistake at work does not mean life or death. For healthcare workers, it does.”

The NDP leader says the federal government could step in and assist healthcare workers by ensuring nurses are available from other regions.

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Singh turned his focus to the province’s vaccine card and how the province failed to implement a coherent and effective system.

“It will fall to the federal government to ensure Albertans, just like other Canadians, are protected and can travel on a plane, enter a venue, visit a restaurant, or fitness facility with the security of knowing those in attendance are vaccinated.”

Finally, Singh looked at schools and how despite Alberta benefitting from $262 million in funding for a safe restart of schools, the province is now experiencing five times the number of COVID cases seen a year ago.

“School administrators, teachers and support staff are terrified and, as a result of the decision to stop contact tracing, no one even has adequate numbers on which to base decisions. The federal government could step in and protect Albertans by providing additional support for contact tracing, testing and reporting infection rates in schools across Alberta.”

Singh says the situation in Alberta is an urgent emergency and the province cannot wait for the House of Commons to resume.

“We must take action now.”