August 9, 2021

Open Letter to the People of Peace River

Re: Public Health Measures to Help Reduce the Risk of COVID-19

Dear Patient,

We would like to express our deepest concerns with the recent plan announced by the
Government of Alberta and the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, to remove
existing public health measures for reducing the risk of COVID-19.

We are healthcare providers in your community who have been continuously educating
ourselves throughout the last 18 months to provide the best possible care to you, our patients,
during this challenging time. The COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant public health
emergency and we feel it is important to publicly express our professional concerns that the risk
of the COVID-19 Delta variant should not be underestimated.

The virus is now more easily transmitted between people, including those who are vaccinated.
With this increased ease of transmission, the removal of public health measures puts
unvaccinated and not fully vaccinated people, who make up 60% of the Peace River area
population, at risk of contracting COVID and experiencing severe disease, hospitalization, or
death. As well, without widespread testing, the medical community will not be able to plan for an
influx of COVID patients into hospitals until beds are already full, which impacts the care of all
patients.

There are simple steps we can take to keep ourselves and our loved ones as safe as possible.
We would strongly recommend:

1. Continued testing, tracing and isolation of COVID-19 cases. The ability of the healthcare
system to accurately follow rising case counts allows us to minimize the spread of
infection to our families and friends, which is particularly important in areas of low
vaccination rates like the North Zone. Please consider contacting your MLA, the Health
Minister and Premier to advocate for continued monitoring.

2. Masking and distancing in high risk spaces such as indoors, poorly ventilated and
crowded areas. Please consider wearing a mask, even if you’re vaccinated, to protect
yourself and others from this virus as it is primarily spread through aerosols and
droplets.

3. COVID-19 vaccination. This is the strongest protection available for severe illness from
COVID-19 and it is effective against the Delta variant. It is strongly recommended for all
eligible individuals. Please consider getting vaccinated and, if you have questions,
please do not hesitate to speak to a health professional in our community.

Please continue to stay safe.

Respectfully,

Reena Hansen MD PhD Pharmacology CCFP, Rural Physician Peace River

Tony Nickonchuk BSc Pharmacy, Clinical Pharmacist Peace River

Stacy Jardine APA RPh BSc Pharmacy, Clinical Pharmacist Peace River

Michael R. Kolber BSc MD MSc, Professor, University of Alberta Department of Family

Medicine, Physician Peace River

Raelene Marceau BScN MScN NP PhD, Assistant Professor, Nurse Practitioner Peace River

Tyne M. Lunn ACP, Community Care Paramedic Peace River

Marie-Claude Guillet MD, Rural Physician Peace River

Laresa Marx MD, Rural Family Physician Peace River

Kathryn Wood MD CCFP(ESS), Rural Physician Peace River

Ashleigh Malarczuk RN MN ENC(C), Registered Nurse Peace River

Norah McKay MD CCFP, Rural Family Physician Peace River

CC: Mr. Dan Williams, MLA for Peace River, 780-928-5100, Peace.River@assembly.ab.ca
Hon. Tyler Shandro, QC, Minister of Health, 780-427-3665, health.minister@gov.ab.ca
Hon. Premier Jason Kenney, PC, Premier of Alberta, 780-427-2251, premier@gov.ab.ca
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Alberta
Mr. Arnold Viersen, MP for Peace River-Westlock