What next for COVID-19 public health measures in Edmonton?
Good evening everyone!
As you may know, the Province announced its staged plan to remove COVID-19 public health measures, yesterday at 5pm. Stage one – removing the Restriction Exemption Program (REP) – began at midnight.
Beginning at 9:30am today, City Council was involved in a extensive discussion about how best to respond to the Province’s decisions in the best interest of public health and wellbeing of Edmontonians. We discussed looking into a city-wide REP program and/or an active screening program, that would include City facilities and private businesses, and whether to keep Edmonton’s mask bylaw in place in public places. Currently, the mask option is most within our power legislatively, and has the most evidence backing this up.
I am writing this to share a glimpse of City Council’s process as we try to make a decision that will bring relief.
I am also writing as a way to reach out because I want to hear from you, your experiences, your stories, and understand your diverse perspectives. What do you think? Please share your thoughts here or by emailing keren.tang@edmonton.ca or calling our office at 780-496-8142.
How are you feeling about the current state of COVID-19 public health measures in Edmonton? What about the latest Provincial and City announcements gives you pause or hope? What are you worried about or relieved about?
I understand this is a lot to consider, and a tense time and that this decision will impact all of us. I know everyone is weary. We will do our best to take a thoughtful and intentional approach in the midst of these circumstances that call for quick decisions.
Personally, I am weary. I have a knot in my stomach, for our little ones in schools and daycares (which are struggling to operate as they are incredibly short-staffed). The vaccination rate among 5-11 year olds is the lowest in the province. I am weary for all the front-line workers in our city, weary for businesses and the hospitality industry, weary for all who have fought COVID and whose health has been impacted, weary for all who have lost loved ones, and for those who have lost livelihoods. Like you, I am weary for the uncertainty of it all. Lifting the REP too soon & too fast signals we are out of the woods, and I am not sure that we are. I've heard from many Edmontonians who are writing in, with huge concern for those who are immunocompromised. I've also heard from Edmontonians who want to see restrictions lifted. We need to do this thoughtfully, in a way that considers what the fall-out will be.
What We Talked About at Council Today (February 9, 2022)
We passed a motion this morning that said:
That Administration return to Council (as soon as possible) with options for and detailing the implications of implementing a municipal Restriction Exemption Program (REP) including options for both city owned and operated facilities, and citywide private businesses.
That the Mayor, on behalf of Council, formally request that the Provincial Government provide the City of Edmonton with the recommendations made by the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the data used to inform the recommendations announced February 8, 2022.
To help us make a decision informed by health and science, we were joined at Council by Edmonton’s COVID-19 Taskforce which also includes City staff who coordinate with community partners and school boards, Dr. Sikora, Medical Officer of Health, Edmonton Zone, and legal counsel. My fellow Councillors and I asked questions about the legislative powers of municipalities, about the current state with COVID trends, about transmissibility of the virus, and many more. I asked:
How are other jurisdictions approaching lifting mandates?
What is the practicality of QR codes (if City were to continue with its own REP) and active screening?
Where do these decisions leave our most vulnerable populations (a majority of Edmonton homeless shelters are grappling with COVID-19 outbreaks) and children?
What is the impact on the staff who support them?
How are school boards responding to these decisions?
Personally, I'm committed to including a public health approach, being informed by robust data, and equity considerations. These are values I was elected on and they will remain at the heart of decisions I make.
As Council weighs all the options and finds a way forward, we agree that we must be guided by values like fairness, consistency, and clarity. And we need to be guided by public health expertise, consider City resources, an equity analysis about impact, vibrancy and safety, local economy, and the role of City Plan in all of this.
Some Considerations
Based on what other jurisdictions are doing, Dr. Sikora, Medical Officer of Health, Edmonton Zone, said “The step-wise approach (that the province has taken) is reasonable.”
Even if we implement any city-specific REP policy, we still need to give time especially for businesses to respond and adapt, yet again.
The goal of REP is to encourage vaccination, which at this point has reached a plateau (based on vaccination rates and a discussion with Dr. Sikora). Continuing this program now might be more symbolic than effective or even practical when it would be inconsistently applied across the region.
Mask-wearing for children will become inconsistent. Under the Province’s direction, starting Feb. 14, children 12 and under no longer need to wear masks anywhere, and children and youth (of any age) no longer have to wear masks in schools. The City bylaw requires children 2 years old and up to wear masks in public spaces.
Next Steps
City Administration will do outreach to businesses and other stakeholders.
The report from Administration responding to the motions will come back to Council on Friday. This means we have NOT made any further decisions yet on a municipal REP, and masking requirements. Those remain OPTIONS for us to consider.
