WESTLOCK –Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken is “glad” the Restrictions Exemption Program (REP) has been scrapped saying “exemption based on vaccine status has not been effective in stopping the spread of the Omicron variant.”
During a Feb. 8 news conference, premier Jason Kenney announced the removal of REP at midnight Feb. 9, the first of a three-step approach to removing all COVID-19 public health measures this spring. van Dijken, who had publicly called on his government to end REP only days earlier and had spoken to a number of ministers before the Tuesday-afternoon news conference, said that since the virus has changed “the policy needed to change as well.”
“I continue to ask government to re-evaluate all public sector workplace vaccine mandates on this most recent data. It cannot be justified to remove an individual’s livelihood solely based on their vaccine status,” said van Dijken following the Feb. 8 announcement by Kenny.
“Rapid testing of individuals to help minimize spread, especially in high-risk settings such as hospitals and seniors’ homes, provides more certainty of each person’s health status. My job as an MLA is to look at government policy and if a policy is not reflective of the circumstance I need to highlight and address it … especially when I’m hearing from constituents who’ve told me how it’s impacting their lives.
“I get the calls from people who have been put on leave without pay or been terminated and don’t qualify for employment insurance. I find that quite disheartening, especially if the policy isn’t solid.”
The removal of REP comes alongside changes to capacity limits in large facilities and entertainment venues. Facilities with a capacity limit of 500 to 1,000 will be limited to 500 while buildings with a capacity of above 1,000 will be restricted to 50 per cent. Capacity limits for locations not covered under REP are gone, while venues will once again be permitted to sell food and beverages, however patrons are required to remain seated while eating. In addition, on Feb. 14, mandatory masking requirements will be removed for children under 12 in all settings including schools.
van Dijken said that the REP program has created “significant division” in communities across his riding and rural Alberta in general.
“I don’t think the cities are going through the same kind of division because the vaccination rates there are 90 per cent plus. In rural Alberta we’re 60 to 70 per cent vaccinated so there’s a good portion of debate on how to handle things,” said van Dijken.
Step 2, said the premier, is slated for March 1 if hospitalizations continue to trend downwards — at that point any remaining school requirements, such as cohorting, may be removed. Screening for entertainment and sports will also be lifted, as well as capacity limits at all large venues. Indoor and outdoor social gathering limits will also be scrapped alongside indoor masking requirements and the province’s mandatory work-from-home orders.
The timeline for the province entering Step 3 will be determined by hospitalization rates and will see COVID-specific continuing care measures and mandatory isolation protocols removed.
MLA’s statement
On Feb. 6 van Dijken posted a 360-plus-word statement to his Facebook page (see his Facebook page for the complete statement) calling for not only an end of REP, but workplace vaccine mandates.
In the statement van Dijken said that over the past two years the province has endured many ups and downs in the battle with COVID-19 and he’s “witnessed a general resolve by our citizens to come together in the face of this challenge.”
“Fast forward almost two years and I hear from many people who are battle weary. People tired of facing the ups and downs with every new wave. People wanting the daily debate on how to best manage this to end.”
He said the Omicron variant has spread rapidly and vaccination has not been able to stop the spread as most cases, over 80 per cent, are among the vaccinated and approximately 70 per cent of people in hospital with COVID have been vaccinated.
“Most constituents I have talked with feel that after two years they have the information they need to make their own decisions regarding their COVID-19 response. I believe the time has come for the Government of Alberta to honour and respect the rights of each individual Albertan to choose what is best for them. I am asking the government to remove the legally-binding COVID-19 health orders,” he wrote.
“It is imperative that the government continues to fully inform residents of the ongoing risks we may face with COVID, but it is also imperative for the government to respect the individual choices Albertans make for themselves and their families.”
In a follow-up interview van Dijken said he’s not big on Facebook as he prefers to talk to people face-to-face, but on this post he did go through some of the comments and replied to a handful.
Coutts and Ottawa protests
Finally, van Dijken said while he respects the right of people to protest, the ongoing blockade of the highway to the Canada-U.S. border to Coutts, which has been ongoing for more than a week in solidarity with the continuing trucker protests in Ottawa and other parts of the country, needs to end.
“Do I agree with everything that’s transpired? No. We do not need our borders blocked in order to get the message. The work is being done,” he said.
• With files from Spencer Kemp-Boulet
