Dr. Deena Hinshaw took pen to hand as opposed to standing at the podium on Wednesday, August 4 to address the concerns of Albertans.

Alberta's top doctor was attempting to alleviate the worry of Albertans that was raised last week with her announcement to change how the province fights COVID-19.

In the Op-ed entitled "Learning to Live with COVID-19" she started by apologizing to residents if the impression was given that she believed that COVID-19 was over. "I am sorry that the way I communicated about the planned changes to our COVID-19 response has caused feelings of confusion, fear, or anger for some people. I am hearing that the message people received from my words was that I think COVID is over, and that people are being left on their own to deal with it. That was not my intended message, so I want to share some of the rationale behind the changes and why I believe this course of action will support the whole health of Albertans."

The letter stresses that vaccines have changed the battlefield in the fight against COVID-19 and that the province needs to re-adjust focus not because the virus has disappeared but because it is necessary to learn to live with it in a different way. Hinshaw says it is necessary to deal with and to address other health concerns too saying that COVID-19 is a "wicked problem" but there are other pressing health issues that need to be recognized like syphilis and opioid deaths.

Hinshaw says that different methods of monitoring for the virus will be used as opposed to the unsustainable testing program that has been used for the past 18 months. Simply put she says, "Testing every person with a runny nose or sore throat is an extraordinary measure that we cannot sustain, particularly through the respiratory virus season."

The public outcry from doctors, politicians and the general public over the past week has brought Premier Kenney, Health Minister Shandro, and Dr. Hinshaw forward to defend the province's decision announced last week. Following the lifting of all provincial mask mandates an unprecedented initiative was announced by Dr. Hinshaw in which it will be no longer be required for close contacts of COVID-19 cases to quarantine. A shift from requiring to recommending quarantine for positive cases. Plus, COVID-19 tests will only be available to physicians needing a diagnosis to provide patient care. All the steps are new and ground-breaking in the fight against COVID-19.

Premier Kenney came to Dr. Hinshaw's defense on Tuesday saying, "I think it's regrettable that we've seen comments attacking the expertise of our brilliant chief medical officer of health…  I would call on anybody in a position of authority, especially elected leadership, to show a degree of respect for the chief medical officer of health and the advice she provides."

To read the entire Op-ed click HERE.