Image Credit: The Canadian Press

By Megan Turcato / Global Okanagan

Coronavirus outbreak

Merritt-area MP calls for more transparency about B.C. Interior coronavirus cases

Mar 15, 2020 | 7:26 PM

PENTICTON, B.C. — After hearing from his constituents, a member of parliament from B.C.’s Interior is calling on health officials to be more transparent about coronavirus cases in the region.

Dan Albas, Conservative MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola, said he would like health officials to either release information about what community or communities the cases are in or explain why information is being provided about the location of some cases elsewhere in the province but not the Interior Health region.

If they can’t release the community locations, Albas urged health officials to “explain exactly why privacy rules apply to [Interior Health] in a way that doesn’t apply to another health authority.”

The province’s Health Ministry argues protecting patients’ privacy will help those experiencing symptoms feel safe coming forward.

On Saturday, provincial health officials announced a second presumptive case of coronavirus in the Interior Health region.

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The province’s top health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said the latest presumptive case in Interior Health was related to international travel, “to a number of places in Europe, most recently from Portugal.”

The Interior’s first presumptive case was announced on Feb. 14. Provincial officials said the woman travelled from Shanghai, China, to Vancouver, and then by private vehicle to the Interior.

At the time, the woman was said to be in self-isolation at home.

No information was released as to where in the health region either case is located.

Meanwhile, Albas pointed out that officials have named a specific North Vancouver care centre as being at the centre of a cluster of cases.

“Most of the feedback I heard was that people feel that they deserve to know [the general location of cases] so they can make changes in their own behaviours, so that they can make their own plans,” Albas said.

“They don’t need to know the individual, they don’t even need to know exactly where someone is self-isolated, other than, please just let us know the community.”

Albas argues releasing the community location of cases would stem informal chatter that may create fear and allow people to make informed decisions.

“In the absence of information, people then start to speculate or, worse than that, you have an informal network where rumours start to abound and that raises fears,” Albas said.

“The second part, though, is for people to make informed choices about where they go and at what level do they participate.”

When contacted about Albas’s concerns, B.C.’s Ministry of Health said it does not release location details and provided a statement from the provincial health officer related to privacy and COVID-19.

The statement did not directly explain why specific facilities connected to cases in the Lower Mainland have been named, but said the only reason it will be identifying the location of confirmed cases is if “public health providers cannot be certain they have reached all those who need to be contacted and who therefore might be a risk to the public.”

“We want people who have symptoms to contact us, and to feel safe contacting us, knowing their privacy will be protected so the steps to protect the health and safety for all can be taken,” said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

“This is why privacy is important to everyone. It allows public health providers to do the work they need to do to keep everybody safe.”

The province added that “anyone who may be at risk of exposure to COVID-19 gets contacted by the public health officials who are supporting confirmed cases and their close contacts.”