Canadian governments refusing to release models or projections of COVID-19 spread – By Ryan Tumilty (National Post) / April 1 2020
Health Minister Patty Hajdu said there were a lot of variables in the models and how Canadians react to the crisis would bend the curve
OTTAWA – Politicians warned Wednesday Canadians can expect weeks or months of social distancing, but declined to reveal their own models or estimates of just how many people could become infected or die of COVID-19.
While federal and provincial leaders stressed the need for Canadians to maintain the fight against COVID-19, they refused to disclose models that project how the virus might play out.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said releasing projection models might prompt panic.
“There are a few different models and if we give one or the other it sends two different messages,” said Ford. “These models could drastically, drastically change. If we underestimate on one side and overestimate on the other (it could) create a panic if we overestimate.”
When asked about releasing information from such models, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “There are a wide range of projections depending on how Canadians are behaving.”
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