Alberta not reinstating masking in hospitals even as respiratory illnesses increase

As respiratory season gets underway the Alberta government said it will not mandate masks, but an Edmonton ICU doctor said masking should be considered in select health spaces.

Fall traditionally brings with it an uptick in respiratory illnesses and 2023 is no exception. While other jurisdictions in Canada are bringing back masking in some health-care settings, Alberta is standing firm on leaving the choice up to individuals.

“Alberta’s government has been clear in the past, we will not be mandating masks for Albertans,” Ministry of Health press secretary Charlotte Taillon said in a statement to Global News on Thursday.

“In cases where there are COVID-19 outbreaks in health-care facilities like long-term care, we expect people to take precautions and protect themselves and others. That may mean staying home, rescheduling visits or wearing a mask.”

Royal Alexandra Hospital intensive care physician Dr. Darren Markland said the province is offloading responsibility onto individuals.

“It works for some things, but it doesn’t work for public health and infectious diseases,” Markland said Friday. “This is the entire problem that we had during the pandemic, was that everybody had to do the right thing — if some people didn’t, then the disease spread and the same thing exists during respiratory season.”

Markland said it seems the health ministry is making decisions based on politics, not health policy, and advises Albertans to follow common sense to prevent illnesses.

“You only have to watch the interviews that are coming out between our health minister, our interim CMOH, to say that these are very awkward interviews and people aren’t saying the things that are expected to come from health-care professionals.

The statement from Alberta Health came on the same day Health Minister Adriana LaGrange announced 20 people have died from COVID-19 in the span of 20 days in the province.