Editor:
Re: Delta COVID-19 numbers released, Aug. 27
Since March 20, both Health Minister Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Henry have repeatedly and forcefully stated that they could not release city location count data of COVID-19 cases due to “privacy” issues.
For example, 155 cases for Burnaby, 103 for Richmond, 62 for Delta. Many media including the CBC and Vancouver Sun have pressed for release of this count data from the beginning.
Cities, such as Delta and Richmond have asked specifically for this data months ago. Other jurisdictions such as Alberta and Ontario released their location data four months ago, leaving B.C. citizens puzzled.
Suddenly on Aug. 27 the government did a complete reversal and released city location count data. The so-called issue of “privacy” seems to have disappeared.
Why is the government now releasing this data? I see only two options: either authorities didn’t have the city location count data until now and didn’t tell the public, or they had the data and didn’t feel it was appropriate to release it to the public.
Neither option is acceptable.
In the first option, if they didn’t have the data they simply needed to be honest and tell the public, and not mislead us by saying there is a “privacy” issue. In the second option, if they had the data, who made the decision not to release the data to the public and what legal opinion did they base this on?
Access to public information is a cornerstone of any democracy. When public information becomes hidden either by error or purposefully, our democracy begins to crumble.
Perhaps the Opposition BC Liberals could ask for some clarity in the Legislature.
BC citizens would like to know what is going on because there never was a “privacy” issue.
Keith Munro
