Documents the Alberta government tried to keep from public view have been released and show behind-the-scene workings of the Kenney government’s decisions around easing COVID-19 restrictions..The nearly 300-page document has now been made public, including a PowerPoint presentation from Minister of Health Jason Copping, prepared by Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw, and cabinet committee minutes from a February 8 meeting..The government fought to keep the two documents from public record citing them as “confidential,” however, in a ruling last week, Justice Grant Dunlop ruled nothing in either document was “immune from production based on public interest.”.Dunlop said, with respect to this case, "the relationship between cabinet decisions and [CMOH] decisions is a central issue" and "the interests of justice tip the balance in favour of disclosure" and set a deadline for Hinshaw to release the documents one week from his July 4 ruling..The PowerPoint presentation said the province is “coming to the end of the Pandemic Phase” and will soon be “moving into the Transition Phase” where infection rates will remain relatively stable and hospitalizations, although “still high and straining the system,” are at a plateau..It pointed to jurisdictions such as Denmark, England, and Ireland, which had eased most of their public health measures. The PowerPoint mentioned some Canadian provinces started to phase out or partially ease public heath measures, but indicated “most provinces have more restrictive measures than Alberta.”.The PowerPoint shared data reflecting Alberta’s current state, including trends for positivity rates, hospitalizations and wastewater surveillance as of February 6 and 7. It also shared vaccination rates of the Alberta population, including pediatric and booster doses up to February 6..The framework for easing public health measures suggested Alberta will opt for a “conditions-based approach, which requires certain metrics to be achieved before moving to subsequent steps,” and suggested the province will be a “leader in entering the endemic space, balancing the risks and benefits to easing before other Canadian jurisdictions.”.A gradual removal of public health measures was suggested and “only once pressures on the healthcare system have sufficiently eased” with continued monitoring and a decline “of new COVID-19 hospitalizations over a sustained period of time.”.Alberta Health developed three approaches to ease the healthcare measures for cabinet consideration..The first approach included a “significant easing” with step one while the second approach included a “moderate easing between all steps.” The third approach would be up to the Priorities Implementation Cabinet Committee (PICC)..It was noted if Alberta Health witnessed an increase in hospitalizations or the emergence of a new, higher risk variant, a “re-instatement of public health measures may be recommended.”.Each approach — labelled Option 1, 2, and 3 — included a three-step process to easing the health restrictions, and listed several pros and cons for each. The cabinet committee was to select from the three options..The presentation then explained how the option would be communicated to the public..“Announce as a bold, but prudent approach, highlighting the thresholds for each step of re-opening,” read the PowerPoint, indicating the message would be delivered through a news conference, a news release, social media, advertising, and tele-town halls with businesses, churches, etc..Messaging was to include:.The importance of Albertans beginning to return to regular lifeThe framework being gradual and dependent on reaching specific thresholdsClear details about each step and when they will happenProtections for the vulnerable and the health system continuing to be in place.Although the Alberta government suggested leaving the ability to create a proof of vaccination QR code on its website to support needed travel requirements, it suggested removing the official Alberta COVID Records verifier apps from Google and Apple stores..The PowerPoint said employers seeking to continue to implement vaccine mandates, would need to “obtain their own legal advice to confirm whether the organization has good legal authority to collect and use the information” obtained from doing so..A list of endemic planning considerations included a focus on “high risk settings” and suggested “legal orders would no longer be necessary if vaccinations remain effective at preventing severe outcomes.”.According to the cabinet committee minutes dated February 8, it was concluded most committee members were in favour of Option 2 to ease public health measures, using a phased approach..The committee also directed the minister of health to expand booster shot availability for vulnerable Albertans 12–17 years of age and directed he work with Service Alberta to remove Alberta’s QR code verifier apps from Google and Apple stores..The minister was also requested to bring recommendations forward to the cabinet for the long-term management of COVID-19 and a proposal for increasing the third-dose uptake of COVID-19 vaccines to eligible Albertans at a later date..Finally, the committee directed the Treasury Board, and Ministries of Finance, Education, Advanced Education, and any other relevant ministries to encourage “alignment of their COVID-related policies with the Government of Alberta.”.The lawsuit questions the timing of the removal of mask mandates in schools. According to the presentation, that would occur during the second step of Option 2. Although the date indicated masking would be lifted March 1, the cabinet minutes showed the date was instead moved up to February 14. .The government denies it ignored or overrode any recommendations with its decision to ease restrictions across the province. ."We moved forward with a plan to safely lift public health measures, in line with other provinces and other countries, based on the best available evidence, and advice from Alberta Health and the Chief Medical Officer of Health," said Steve Buick, Coppings press secretary. ."The Minister of Health provided cabinet with three options, presented uniformly without a recommended option. Cabinet chose from those options. Suggestions that we ignored or overrode recommendations are simply false.".On school masking, Buick said decisions were made "weighing the available evidence on the benefits and burdens of mandatory masking in school, including a wide range of expert recommendations and practices in other jurisdictions."."The evidence since then supports our decision: COVID cases among school-age kids and youth dropped steadily after the end of mandatory school masking and have stayed low ever since."."We stand by our decision to lift public health measures, including ending mandatory masking in schools. It was the right choice for kids and it did not pose undue risk to our communities.".The release of the documents is part of an ongoing court battle between the Government of Alberta and the Alberta Federation of Labour along with the parents of five immunocompromised children. The claimants are suing the government over its decision to lift mask mandates in schools and prohibit school boards from setting their own COVID-19 protocols..The case will be heard in court next month.
