A panel examining Alberta’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is out with its final report.

The Emergency Review Panel was convened by Premier Danielle Smith to review legislation and governance employed during the COVID-19 crisis and recommend changes to better prepare Alberta to meet future public emergencies.

The report makes a number of recommendations from increasing the overall capacity of Alberta Health Services to better respond to surges in demand, to expanding the role of peripheral healthcare workers such as pharmacists and nurse practitioners.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting global turmoil was unprecedented,” said panel chair, Preston Manning.

“It is my hope that by adopting these recommendations, the Government will be better equipped to cope with future emergencies.”

The panel also calls on the province to work towards attracting more healthcare workers to Alberta, as well as reducing barriers to labour mobility.

Other suggestions include strengthening the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) making it the lead agency for responding to future public emergencies, and ensuring that schools are not closed province-wide unless under exceptional circumstances.

The final report can be found on the Alberta Government’s website.