More transparency about COVID-19, please

We in B.C. have demonstrated our willingness to comply quickly and gracefully when regulations around COVID-19 change. But, we need greater transparency from the provincial government about why regulations change.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has been suspended due to concerns about fatal blood clots. Yet, we read in the international news that the causality between the vaccine and the blood clots has not been determined. Other countries such as Britain have resumed the rollout of AstraZeneca believing that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks. So why is Canada hesitating?

We are told there is a sudden spike in cases on Vancouver Island, but we are not told in any detail where these new cases are. Why not?

We hear that people are not turning up for their appointments and, consequently, the vaccine rollout is not that efficient, despite all the time B.C. had to prepare. So let’s fix it! We need to know what is happening. We will not panic, but we will increase our vigilance.

The Australian think-tank the Lowy Institute has assessed the COVID-19 responses of 98 countries.

Sad but true, Canada ranked badly, standing at 61 out of 100. Cold comfort that our underperformance was better than the United Kingdom (66), Russia (76), the United States (94).

We can do better, but need to be better informed if we are to play our part.

Rosalind Coleman Brentwood Bay