Today, as anti-vaccination and anti-public health rallies are being held across the province and country, Public Interest Alberta Executive Director Bradley Lafortune made the following statement to demand the UCP government urgently implement a vaccine certification program:
“As cases continue to skyrocket in the fourth wave and as anti-public health protests take place at our hospitals today, Public Interest Alberta is demanding urgent leadership from Premier Kenney and the UCP. We need safe, secure, and easily accessible vaccine certification for all vaccinated Albertans.
“It’s clear from other jurisdictions, including next door in British Columbia, that vaccine certification works to accelerate vaccination registration and uptake. On the first day after B.C. announced its certification program, there was a 200 per cent increase in registrations as compared to the week before.
“B.C. has joined other provinces including Ontario and Manitoba in issuing similar certificates. It’s past time for Alberta to get on board. These measures are proven, safe, secure and the least we can do to help provide more protection to the more than 600,000 younger Albertans who are not currently eligible for vaccination.
“As of Friday, our positivity rate was 11.65% and we were once again leading the country in active and newly identified COVID cases. The time for action is now, yet Premier Kenney has been silent for more than ten days. The province needs urgent leadership, and as a first step we need to see Alberta introduce a secure vaccine certification program, in line with actions in the rest of Canada.”
