NDP CALLS FOR UPDATED PANDEMIC MODELLING AS CASES RISE

EDMONTON – The Alberta NDP Caucus is calling on Jason Kenney and the UCP government to release updated COVID-19 modelling as cases continue to rise in the province.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that Edmonton had reached another record high of 1,085 active cases, roughly half of all active cases in the province. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced she would be bringing forward further restrictive measures to combat the spread of the virus in the city today.

The Alberta NDP called on the government to update Albertans on its internal pandemic modeling in a letter to Health Minister Tyler Shandro and Dr. Hinshaw on Tuesday.

“Albertans cannot afford another economic shutdown, and they need to be made aware of the challenges so that they can take appropriate action,” said Alberta NDP Health Critic David Shepherd. “In order to curb the spread, we need to know what we’re facing and we need to be prepared. The UCP needs to be honest and transparent with Albertans which means they must release updated modeling.”

Early in the pandemic, the government took the appropriate step of transparently releasing modelling data, which included a range of scenarios, in order to be forthright and honest with the public. 

Updated modeling allows health officials to use the evidence gathered from the most recent outbreaks and cases to model response scenarios that both help the health system and allow Albertans to plan for the potential impact of the pandemic reaching a new peak.

“If we want to avoid the worst, we all have to do our best. But we need to know what the consequences are so I am asking the government to be upfront with Albertans about the data they’re looking at,” said Shepherd. “Once again, I encourage all Albertans to follow the latest advice, and do everything you can to protect one another from this devastating virus.”

In Edmonton alone, the reproductive number of COVID-19 has risen to 1.3 over the past week, indicating a worrying increase in the transmission rate.