Letter to Tyler Shandro - Concerns about his Covid response and Rapid Covid tests

 Tuesday, February 16, 2021


Dear Honourable Tyler Shandro.


I am writing to you again to express my concerns on the decision making and the lack of leadership in respect of your ministry to the Covid-19 response. You have failed me, my fellow residents who live in community care facilities and you failed Albertans in general. So disappointing and irresponsible. 


Watching you at a few of the recent Covid briefings, I am confused of your sudden concern for Albertans’ public health and the strain to our healthcare system due to the new UK and South African variants. At your briefing where you mentioned the seriousness we needed to be aware of these more highly contagious and deadlier virus. At this briefing we had 20 cases with the UK variant and 5 cases with the the South African variant. We now have 171 Variant cases. My question for you Minister Shandro, where was this concern for Albertans and the worry of strain to our healthcare system in early November 2020 when we were topping 1200+ new cases daily ? I can tell you, you did absolutely nothing! I had written to you multiple times in November and December 2020 about the need for stricter restrictions to keep me and my fellow Albertans safe and healthy. The restrictions which Premier Kenney stated on November 12, 2020 for Edmonton only; which then were implemented for Calgary on November 27, 2020, were a joke. Easy to see that wasn’t going to solve anything to bring down our cases. When announcements were made by Premier Kenney on November 12, Covid-19 cases since the end of October, reflecting that social gatherings and other public health restrictions were not being followed. Why didn’t stricter restrictions or a 4-week lockdown province wide made at this time? By mid-November (where Premier Kenney vanished for his 2-week isolation), we set a record for the most deaths in a 24-hour period - 20 deaths. Of course in December we surpassed that with over 27 deaths in a 24-hour period. As our Ministry of Health to Alberta, don’t you have the responsibility to keep me safe and healthy? Why couldn’t you implement stricter restrictions earlier on behalf of Premier Kenney as he was home isolating? Does it always need to be the Premier to tell Albertans about the restrictions? Doesn’t make sense to me especially when there is an urgency to act quickly to save lives and health of Albertans. If the UCP government had implemented the strict restrictions just a month earlier (November 12), we would be telling a different story today. If the UCP government took a stance of people over party” - less Albertans would have gotten sick, less Albertans would need hospitalizations, and less number of Albertans would have died. Seeing how our numbers have come down with this latest lockdown, there could have been the possibility of spending Christmas with some loved ones. Businesses open for Christmas holidays. Plus importantly, by implementing restrictions on November 12, we could avoided the strain on our healthcare system. 


I remember in the spring 2020, Premier Kenney sharing at the daily Covid-19 briefings regarding hospitalizations, we had a threshold of 75 patients in ICU anything higher would begin a strain on ICU resources. A question for you Minister Shandro and for Premier Kenney, why did you both wait until hospitalizations had increased by 600% since November 1, which included an increase of over 300% in ICU admissions! How irresponsible of you both on handled the second wave of Covid-19 response! Again, in my opinion, the UCP government decision making is based on “party over people”. In other words to me, decisions were not based on dealing with our public health crisis but it has based on pleasing UCP party supporters and businesses. With these decisions made, we now find us in the situation we are in. Though your message to Albertans restrictions must remain due to the arrival of the different variants, but end of that same week Premier Kenney is saying he is loosening restrictions. Why the sudden reversal? It seems the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is going. Definitely not how a government should be run especially in an important profile as Minister of Health. 


Minister Shandro, as a resident who lives in a community care facility, you, Premier Kenney and the UCP government have failed to protect me from danger and to protect my health. I live at AgeCare-Skypointe which is located in the Upper NE of Calgary. Unfortunately, AgeCare-Skypointe was Calgary’s worst Covid-19 outbreak in a community care facility sighed beginning of the pandemic. We could not see any loved ones in person from October 11, 2020 until January 15, 2021. I was quarantined to my room for 95 days to help to reduce the spread of the virus. Can you imagine, 352 residents were not able to see loved ones in person for 3 months? Revera’s McKenzie Community care centre was worst case during the first wave of the pandemic. You would have thought Minister Shandro, we would have been better prepared when the second wave hit in late September 2020 to protect those who live in communal living based on what we saw happen at Revera’s McKenzie Towne. Unfortunately, this has not been the case Minister Shandro. You and Premier Kenney have failed me and fellow residents living in Alberta’s community care facilities as well as those living in communal living spaces (jails, remand centres, and homeless shelters). 


Do you know how frustrating to read the UCP government is sitting on $675 million from the Federal Government given to assist province’s to cover Covid-19 expenses for sectors like healthcare? How long have you been sitting on the $675 million? Why has it taken only until February 3, 2021, that Premier Kenney announces $68.5 million for community care facilities during this pandemic? Organizations of these facilities needed funds as soon as federal government gave you those funds to purchase sufficient PPE for staff, money to pay “hazard pay” as well as hiring more staff to care for their residents. That is almost 9 months since this money could have been used in 2020 for healthcare workers who have been putting their lives along with their loved ones lives in jeopardy to serve and provide care to all Albertans since this pandemic began, March 2020. Shameful and another example that the UCP government do not truly care about the health and well-being of Albertans. Why isn’t there a follow through from what you say when in front of the camera at the Covid-19 briefings or when you and Premier Kenney makes announcements. 


Last month, the CBC “The National”, had a segment on usage of rapid Covid tests in Canada. I was shocked and disgusted to hear out of the 1.5 million rapid Covid tests we have received from the federal government, Alberta has only used 12,000 tests! Last Monday night, they reported Alberta has only used 0.89% of their given test kits; which is the lowest in Canada! Minister Shandro, yourself, Premier Kenney and even Dr. Hinshaw have told Albertans - “We are in this together ...”. Really? How can you honestly say, we are in this together, when the UCP government delay sending essential resources and tools to assist in protecting the lives and livelihoods of all Albertans? Why does the UCP government, lead by Premier Kenney, have this vendetta against the federal government so to blame them for failures during this pandemic instead of taking the responsibility of the mistakes the UCP government have made in Alberta’s Covid response during the second wave of this pandemic? Minister Shandro, I feel you and Premier Kenney have failed me, my fellow residents living in community care facilities and the staff who work in these facilities. Premier Kenney on December 7 announced a pilot project using Rapid Covid test kits at YYC. My question, why weren’t these tests piloted at long care facilities who were suffering through major Covid outbreaks? My facility, AgeCare Skypointe in Calgary’s upper NE quadrant, which has been the hardest hit community in Calgary as well as Alberta with this virus. I believe if we had the opportunity of piloting this rapid Covid tests at my facility and it could have been a game change for us. As my facility implemented a quarantine of the whole facility beginning at the end of October, the only way the virus was coming into the facility was through asymptomatic staff. Our outbreak went from October 11, 2020 until January 29, 2021. Can you understand my frustration when I saw your February 9 with Dr. Mark Joffe announcement that the rapid Covid tests was being sent to communal living facilities like LTC facilities to reduce outbreaks? I guess this question is for both you and Dr. Joffe - why did it take 2 months or more to finally to decide to give this valuable tool to fight this virus? AgeCare-Skypointe during the recent facility outbreak, we had over 350 Covid cases of residents and staff and sadly lost 41 residents during this period. If you, Premier Kenney and the UCP Coronavirus Task Force, had acted earlier (implementation of a provincial lockdown on November 12, 2020 instead of December 12, 2020); giving community care facilities access to the rapid Covid tests on December 7 or earlier would have been a game changer in our recent Covid outbreak. The staff at AgeCare-Skypointe staff who tested positive were asymptomatic; therefore didn’t know they were shedding the virus onto their residents and their colleagues who they working with. The UCP government didn’t provide the federal government money given in 2020 to help LTC facilities to cover expenses such as hiring more employees to provide daily basic needs to the vulnerable citizens in these facilities. The extra money would have allow operators to ensure sufficient PPE is available for staff when treating Covid residents. Plus I think AHS should have done more to assist our facility in our recent outbreak - sending specialists such respiratory therapists to monitor residents who were on supplemental oxygen (like myself); more supportive staff to help units who didn’t have sufficient staff to care for our residents. If we had all these things take place in November and December, I am sure our outbreak outcome would be different. Less residents and staff contracting Covid-19 virus; less hospitalizations and less residents with Covid related deaths. Minister Shandro, I would like to point out to you, as we were quarantined for over 3 months to our rooms with out seeing loved ones in person, this has been difficult for our residents mentally, emotionally health which affects our physical health. You could have prevented this,  if you and Premier Kenney were responsible in your Covid response in Alberta. Sadly, you both weren’t and so here we are today with too many new cases, hospitalizations and way too many Covid related deaths of Albertans. 


Minister Shandro, the current Variant wave of the Covid-19 global pandemic in Alberta (currently 171 variant cases), which is now more contagious and deadlier than the original virus, I trust the UCP government will make appropriate decisions towards handling this health crisis. Albertans will be watching the UCP government to see if you truly want to protect “our lives and livelihoods” or will you continue to follow the UCP government agenda of “Party over Albertans lives”


Thank you for your consideration in addressing my concerns in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic occurring in Alberta. 


Sincerely yours, 


Laura Jean Rutherford, CHIM 


Cc’d:

Honourable Jason Kenney, Premier of Alberta 

Her Honour, the Honourable Salma Lakhani, AOE B.Sc., Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta

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, Alberta MLA Calgary-Northeast 

Dr. Deanna Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer 

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 Don Davies, Federal NDP critic for Health

Honourable Michelle Rempel Gardner, Federal CPC critic for Health

Honourable Michael Chong, Federal CPC critic for Infrastructure, Communities & Urban Affairs

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

Mr. George Chahal, Municipality of Calgary, Ward 5 Counsellor 

Dr. Christine P. Molnar, MD, FRCPC, President, Alberta Medical Association 

Dr. Vishal Bhella, President, Alberta College of Family Physicians

Dr. Scott McLeod, Registrar, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta 

Ms. Shirley Schipper, President, College of Family Physicians of Canada 

Dr. Hasmukh Patel, CEO, Interim President & COO, AgeCare Corporate 

Dr. Kabir Jivraj, Managing Director, AgeCare Corporate 

Mr. David Weyant, Chair for Alberta Health Services Board

Dr. Verna Yiu - President/CEO of AHS  

Dr. Mark Joffe, Vice-President and Medical Director 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. Jodi Hall, Chair, Canada Association of Long Term Care

Mr. Brent Windwick, Chair, Health Quality Council 

Mr. Wayne Morishita, Executive Director, Alberta Continuing Care Association 


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