By: Thomas I. Likness
Eagle News Service

(Eagle News) — The Western Canadian province of Alberta is reducing the isolation period for some people with COVID-19 from 10 days to five, the province’s health minister announced Friday.

Health Minister Jason Copping says he made the change to limit disruption in Alberta’s workforce as new cases of the virus in the province are on the increase.

The reduced isolation period applies only to those who have had two shots of the vaccine and have no symptoms.

Others will have to remain in isolation for the 10-day period.

The decision is based on evidence that vaccinated people are less infectious because they shed the virus for a shorter period of time, said Chief Medical Officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

“The decision to shorten the periods of isolation is based on the science that shows full immunization does limit the duration of infectiousness,” Hinshaw said.

She echoed Copping’s assertion that it will help prevent disruption of essential services as cases increase.

“We also know that there are significant harms if essential services are disrupted, as we anticipate will be happening, due to the current surge of cases,” Hinshaw said.

She adds the omicron variant is looming over the globe.

“We should all anticipate that wherever we go outside of our own homes, there’s somebody there who’s infectious with Omicron,” she said. “This is spreading farther and faster than anything we’ve ever seen before.”

On Thursday, the government estimated there 4,000 new cases of COVID-19 — the highest daily number since the pandemic began. The province’s positivity rate is about 30%.
(Eagle News Service)