Group of Alberta doctors send letter to Premier Kenney calling reopening plan ‘rushed’
Posted Jun 4, 2021 5:55 pm.
EDMONTON – A doctor’s group has sent a letter to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney urging him to cancel or postpone major summer events like the Calgary Stampede.
The Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association warns that Alberta’s “Open for Summer” phases are rushed.
It says they allow the lifting of all restrictions in early July while other provinces, including British Columbia and Ontario, won’t reach that milestone until September.
READ MORE: Hospitalizations drop to 379 in Alberta, 244 new cases of COVID-19 identified
The association says it is unsafe to hold a major event such as the Stampede, which may draw visitors from other provinces and countries, before at least 70 per cent of eligible Albertans have been fully vaccinated.
In Alberta this week nearly 65 per cent of the population has received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
It’s expected the world-renowned rodeo and fair will open on July 9 but it will be a scaled-down event with a priority on safety.
The group also urges the government to step up vaccinations with mobile and 24-hour clinics as well as prioritizing second does for groups at high risk of infection.
