On June 22, 2021 the Government of Alberta announced that it would be moving ahead with Stage 3 of its reopening plan on July 1, 2021. At that time, it was also announced that there would be consultation with all regulated health professions in order to prepare for this date and outline exactly what it means for each profession. There is widespread belief that entering Stage 3 means going back to pre-pandemic conditions. This is truly not the case as the pandemic has not proven to be at an end. While cases have drastically decreased and hospitalization rates have fallen, the Delta variant remains an area of concern. This concern will not be behind us until Alberta has reached its target of having both doses of vaccine administered to those who wish to have it. The Delta variant is 60% more transmissible than what was dominant in Alberta at the beginning of the pandemic. One Pfizer dose yields an estimated 33% reduction in risk vs two doses at 88% reduction. As of June 27, 2021 Alberta is at 38.6% of those eligible having both doses. We are getting close but we are just not there yet. Given that physiotherapists and many other professions cannot work with individuals in a physically distant manner, we, just like many others, will have to continue to have a mask policy in place for the time being. It is estimated that by August 1, 2021 Alberta should be nearing a very high level of completion of second dose vaccinations. At that time, there will be more evidence to support the modification of our masking policy. We have been advised by our regulatory body that all screening, sanitation, and infection control measures should stay in place until further notice. This includes mask use. Physiotherapy Alberta will continue to work with the province and advise us moving forward. Please remember that we would dearly love to be able to remove our masks as well, however our first priority is providing a safe environment for our patients and our staff, while doing our part to make sure we do not end up back where we were two months ago. In summary, as of July 1, 2021 South Edmonton Physical Therapy & Sport Rehab will:
Still be pre-screening patients for COVID-19 symptoms ahead of appointments until advised otherwise.
All staff will continue to wear masks.
All patients will be required to wear masks upon entering the clinic.
All patients will be required to use provided hand sanitizer before entering the clinic.
We will continue to provide an environment that allows for physical distancing during your treatment.
All of our infection control and cleaning practices will remain intact.
Thank you for your patience and continued effort helping us move forward towards a time when we can modify our policies.