New Democrats call on federal government to give Canadians more information on COVID-19

VANCOUVER – Today, NDP Health Critic Don Davies called on the federal government to release its modelling and projections of COVID-19 transmission in Canada.
"The federal government has a responsibility to be open with Canadians. Transparency is essential for maintaining the understanding, cooperation and trust of the public as we confront this pandemic," said Davies. "We can't fight this virus blindly. Without access to federal data, Canadians are being left in the dark on the potential duration of physical distancing measures and our health care system's capacity to respond to the outbreak."
Last Friday, the province of British Columbia released its forecasts of COVID-19 transmission and the province of Alberta has pledged to release its modelling by the end of this week. But when asked about releasing federal models, Prime Minister Trudeau has simply said, "There are a wide range of projections depending on how Canadians are behaving."
"Canadians have the right to know if we're ready for all outbreak scenarios," added Davies. "The Prime Minister needs to follow the leadership of his provincial counterparts by releasing federal COVID-19 modelling and projections immediately."