Alberta Premier Danielle Smith rejected a call from the United Nurses of Alberta’s president to reimpose a province-wide indoor mask mandate. 

“I always appreciate the input of our frontline workers, but we do support choice,” Smith said.

“We’ve been very clear. Anyone who feels comfortable wearing a mask should feel free to do so.”

On Tuesday, United Nurses of Alberta’s (UNA) president, Heather Smith, issued an open letter to Smith.

“For the sake of Alberta’s children, and all Albertans, it is imperative that our government cease treating this situation as if it were a political inconvenience and address it immediately as the public health crisis that it is,” AMA’s president said. 

The request from AMA comes as the intensive care unit at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton reached full capacity as of Tuesday.

The UNA’s letter further stated that this measure would be easy and effective in reducing the spread of seasonal viruses “influenza, COVID-19, and RSV.” 

Smith also dismissed the AMA’s demand that the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Joffe, make a “public appearance and a statement on the gravity of the situation.” 

Smith said Joffe’s messaging through social media is sufficient and has stayed the same.

“Stay home if you’re sick. Make sure you’re washing your hands. And if you want to make the choice of a mask or a vaccination, you should do that. So I think that parents have been very responsible in responding to that message,” Smith said.

Before she won United Conservative Party leadership in October, then-candidate Smith said that, if elected, she’d ban lockdowns on children and vaccine mandates on post-secondary students.