Letter to Kenney - Covid-19’s 4th Wave Response

 September 7, 2021

Dear Honourable Jason Kenney (Premier of Alberta), Honourable Tyler Shandro (Minister of Health for Alberta) and Dr. Deena Hinshaw (Chief Public Medical Officer of Alberta).

Hello. My name is Laura Jean Rutherford. I am a Calgary resident living in a Community Care Living facility on a LTC unit. I am 50 years old. I need to live in this facility as I contracted a virus which caused an autoimmune disease - Guillian Barre Syndrome, which has left me a quadriplegic. I have resided at my facility since August 2018, therefore experienced what it is like living in LTC during a national/global health crisis of COVID-19. I have also worked in the healthcare field for over 25 years in the Health Records Department in acute care hospitals. During our second wave (October 2020 to February 2021), our facility was hit the hardest in Calgary with over 350 COVID-19 cases of residents and staff and too many preventable COVID-19 deaths, in my opinion, due to the UCP government’s lack of response during these months. I was one of those residents, who contracted the virus from a staff member on December 31, 2020. My oxygen saturation level went as low as 85%! This was scary for me as I thought I might have to be admitted to ICU to be intubated so I could breathe. Thankfully, my facility was able to provide supplementary oxygen for 3-4 days with lung steroids so that I did not have to be sent to the hospital. I knew it had to come from staff as I had been in isolation and quarantined 24/7 in my room from October 11, 2020 to January 9, 2021. My family and friends were not able to physically see me from October 11, 2020 until March 2021 as we were in a facility lockdown and quarantine - that is 6 months! How would you feel not being able to no one and stuck in a 350 sq ft room for 6 months? I can tell you, it is not fun. During the first wave our facility was locked down (March 9, 2020 til May 13, 2020), again couldn’t see loved ones because of restrictions for community living facilities. So I didn’t see loved ones from March 9, 2020 until July 28, 2020 - that was another 4-5 months on my own without seeing anyone, as restrictions weren’t loosened for our facility until July 24, 2020. Thankfully the 3rd wave (March 2021 - May 2021) it didn’t really impact me that much, but restrictions weren’t loosened for me until mid-July 2021. 

You are probably asking yourself why I am telling you all this information. The reason is: I am one of thousands of Alberta citizens living in a Community Care Facility or a Residential Facility. I am one of millions of Alberta citizens who live with an autoimmune disease/disorder and/or lives with a respiratory compromised condition. In my opinion, we were forgotten when referring to tightening or loosening restrictions for the public. In all of these scenarios, the COVID-19 virus could be a fatal outcome for me if I contract it again. This is why I find the current growing number of active COVID-19 cases worrisome. Yes, I have been fully vaccinated (January 2021 then February 2021) and I will be receiving a COVID booster vaccine on September 8, 2021 to add to my body’s immunity against this virus. Despite this, I can still contract COVID-19 again and could need to be hospitalized to treat it. So I do thank you for approving the booster vaccine who live in our community communal facilities as well as those who are immunocompromised.

Since July 28, 2020, I have written to all three of you letters expressing my concerns with Alberta’s COVID-19 response. Right now, I am having a déjà vue moment with your COVID response from August/September 2020 and again now August/September 2021. We were in the same predicament of rising new COVID-19 cases, increased hospitalizations (including to the ICU) and having continuing number of deaths. Then when comparing us with the rest of Canada, once again, we lead Canada in the highest active case count per capita. To make matters worst this time around, Alberta has the lowest vaccination rate in Canada, as you stated in your press conference on Friday Premier Kenney. Do you think taking the strategy, “Albertans need to take  personal responsibility” working to fight this virus? Have you thought Premier Kenney, some Albertans are following your example of not taking this virus seriously? If you don’t take it seriously, how do you expect your followers to take it seriously and be responsibility for their actions? I saw the signs beginning in early August that this is where we will be by end of August. And here we are one year later in the same exact position, despite having a vaccine available now, we are in the same situation as last year. Very disappointing and frustrating by the leadership of the three of you in reacting to flattening the curve so we can simply live with COVID-19 like any other disease such as Influenzas. 

The BIG question on many Albertans mind - Where were you Premier Kenney, Minister Shandro and Dr. Hinshaw for the month of August? I agree it is important to rest and recharge one’s battery to come back refreshed but we are still facing this severe health crisis. Yes we are all getting tired it - restrictions, quarantines, isolation, wearing masks indoors and outdoors. But you are OUR leaders, the faces we rely on to help us feel that our lives mean something, and our provincial government are putting us first. Remember - ALL our healthcare providers and staff workers have been putting their lives on the line for the past 20 months WITHOUT a break either; and they are continuing on today caring for Albertans. They are giving the best care for those patients in the hospital setting as well as those caring for us in community living facilities too. After 20 months, these healthcare staff members are burning out, getting sick from COVID-19 because they were caring for those with COVID requiring hospitalization. In my opinion Premier Kenney, it has been your poor leadership in deciding to response with a political perspective (pleasing your UCP bases) instead of truly using the data and science to make your decisions to protect the lives of Alberta citizens. It is a shame. Dr. Hinshaw, when Dr. Tam, Canada’s Public Medical Officer, expressed her worry Alberta was opening too fast in July 2021, you did nothing and stood by your decision. You promised Albertans the proof you and the UCP government were using data and science in your decision making for your August recommendations to have literally no restrictions by August 16, 2021, but you have yet to provide it to the public. Why is that it Dr. Hinshaw? Can you honestly tell us data and science truly used in your decision making or was it the UCP government telling you what you were to say to meet their agenda? Premier Kenney and Minister Shandro, when Federal Minister of Health Patty Harju expressed similar comments that Alberta should not be implementing total elimination of restrictions before the August 16 date. Your response and attitude was anger. Minister Harju is responsible for the health of ALL Canadians, which includes Albertans, like me. Have you ever thought she was trying to support Albertans with her letter to you both? A sad shame you do not accept assistance as given, but instead you turn it around using your personal vendetta against Ottawa and Prime Minister Trudeau to criticize in response. The whole situation of Ottawa vs. Alberta is getting tiring and frustrating. Nothing is getting solved. What happened to the partnership and collaboration between Ottawa and Alberta at the beginning of the pandemic? It’s gone. What is left is negativity and pointing blame. Is this how you show leadership for our province to get to the other side of this pandemic?

In March 2020, I saw a leader in my Premier, in my Minister of Health, and in my Chief Medical officer who spoke well and I believed in them when they said on a daily basis that they had our backs. They will lead us through this pandemic to keep all Albertans protected as well as our livelihoods. In my opinion, by September 2020, 6 months later, that leadership from the three of you began to wane due to political pressure from UCP membership, UCP MLAs, plus what Dr Hinshaw shared at her daily press announcements was beginning to sound what Premier Kenney wanted her to say instead of what a person with a medical perspective would say. This still continues into Summer 2021, my confidence in the three of you fighting this virus is gone. You no longer have my back. Your response is reactive not proactive. Your response in Wave #2 and now I see in Wave #4, is coming “too little, too late”; where after weeks of absence from all three of you, it’s Premier Kenney & Minister Shandro who have made the finally decision to assist our crippling healthcare system. As it is takes 2 weeks to see improvements, it will be 2 more weeks of high numbers of active case count putting more pressure on our healthcare system before seeing any hint of improvement.

Premier Kenney, I don’t know what to say after reading the changes to your COVID-19 response on September 3, 2021, other than “Are you kidding? Are you serious? How is this going to help our struggling healthcare system?”. For the millions of Albertans who had done their public duty and received their two vaccinations before July 1, you, Premier Kenney, have slapped them across the face not once but twice. As June 2021 came, we saw the Vaccine Hesitation beginning in Alberta. We almost didn’t make the target date of July 1, 2021 and vaccination rate of 70% to meet your “Open for Summer” campaign. So to get over the finish line, you offered a lottery of 3 x $1 million rewards for those who register for their two vaccines. Slap #1. On Friday September 3, 2021, you said you are now offering $100 for those unvaccinated or partially vaccinated to register for their vaccination. Slap #2. You are rewarding those people not wanting to take the vaccination and penalize all those Albertans who did what you asked, when you asked all without a monetary incentive for them. In my opinion, Premier Kenney, you have spent millions of MY taxpayer money to pay for incentives for those still not wanting to be vaccinated. I read today (Sept 7, 2021), your lottery incentive didn’t even boost the vaccination rate this summer. Now you are giving the $100 incentive. Another example of using our taxpayer money poorly.  Getting vaccinated will protect their lives and other peoples lives like mine. Can’t you see why people are getting fed up with you? Premier Kenney, it seems you only care about your UCP base, corporations and political groups who support you, all the time? Remember Premier Kenney and Minister Shandro, you were elected to serve ALL Albertans regardless of their political colours, just not UCP supporters. 

This final question is for the three of you. I am assuming that Dr. Hinshaw and Minister Shandro each have a Deputy to cover their duties if they are on vacation. I am assuming that we have a Deputy Premier who is responsible to cover provincial issues if Premier Kenney is on vacation. Therefore, I am assuming that if there is a health crisis in Alberta, such as rapid increase of COVID cases over the month of August 2021, these representatives should be able to stand in for those positions, and make important decisions in your absence. Isn’t this correct Premier Kenney? Or is it the power and control, that this did not occurred Premier Kenney? Or why didn’t one of you come back early from vacation to address the issue of protecting the health of Albertans by reinstating restrictions to flatten our curve. Instead, it’s going to be “Too little, too late” and vaccinations are not going to stop this 4th wave devastating Alberta for the fourth time. All so preventable, if you had acted sooner because of what we learned in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd waves. Unfortunately our 4th wave have become so devastating, especially as we are dealing with multiple variants of concerns in our Alberta communities. How embarrassing having leaders of Alberta being made fun of due to their absence in a crisis. This should not have been ignored, as it became evident this summer that the Delta variant should have been taken seriously as it is more deadly than the original COVID virus in August 2020. 

Thank you Premier Kenney, Minister Shandro and Dr. Hinshaw for listening to my concerns on my feelings about Alberta’s COVID-19 responses (March 2020 - September 2021). I ask you all to stop making decisions on the COVID-19 health crisis based on political basis but rather stepping up to the plate, making the tough decisions to protect Albertans lives and livelihoods regardless of political colours.

Sincerely yours, 

Laura Jean Rutherford, CHIM 

Cc’d:

Honourable Erin O’Toole, Federal leader of Conservatives Party of Canada, Leader of Oppositon

Honourable Rachel Notley, NDP Leader of Alberta, Provincial Leader of the Oppositon

Honourable Josephine Pon, Alberta Minister for Seniors and Housing 

Honourable Prasad Panda, Alberta Minister of infrastructure, MLA Calgary-Skyview

Honourable Rajan Sawhney, MLA Calgary-Northeast

Honourable David Shepherd, Alberta’s NDP Health Critic

Honourable Lori Sigurdson, Alberta’s NDP Senior and Housing Critic 

Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Minister of Finance

Honourable Jagmeet Singh, Federal Leader of New Democratic Party

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Medical Officer 

Honourable Patty Harju, Federal Minister of Health 

Honourable Heather McPherson, MP NDP Edmonton - Strathcona

Honourable  Michelle Rempel Garner, Federal CPC critic for Health 

Honourable Don Davies, Federal NDP critic for Health

Honourable Travis Toews, Alberta’s Minister of Finance & President of Treasury Board

Honourable Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks, House Leader

Mr. Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary

Counsellor George Chahal, Ward 5, Counsellor for City of Calgary 

Mr. David Weyant, Chair for Alberta Health Services Board

Dr. Verna Yiu - President/CEO of AHS  

Dr. Sid Viner - Calgary Zone Chief Medical Director 

Dr. Nicholas Etches, Interim Calgary Zone Lead Medical Officer 

Ms. Janice  Harrington,  Alberta Health Advocates, Health Advocate

Ms. Salimah Waljit-Shivaji, Alberta Continuing Care Association (ACCA), President 

Dr. Joe Vipond, AHS Calgary Zone Emergency Physician