B.C. Health Minister defends Dr. Bonnie Henry in legislature over response to COVID-19 transmission in schools
CBC
B.C.'s Health Minister defended Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry in the legislature on Tuesday, after the leader of the B.C. Green Party said British Columbians have been misled about COVID-19 transmissions in schools.
Sonia Furstenau questioned Adrian Dix about emails from Henry and public health leaders centred on the province's response to COVID-19 transmission in schools, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and published by the Burnaby Beacon and Capital Daily.
Furstenau highlighted a December 2020 email written by Henry ahead of a press briefing asking health officials for data that indicated transmission in schools was low.
"Could you please give me some of the stats from your school assessments for the media brief today," Henry wrote, according to the Beacon report. "We need to be able to give some data that supports what we keep saying transmission in schools is low."
At the press briefing, Henry said "the data shows us that we are not seeing schools as a place where transmission is spreading widely."
Furstenau suggested the emails show Henry was searching for information to fit a narrative.
"She then told the public, over and over again, that transmission in schools was low, denying the reality that teachers and parents were experiencing in their real lives — over and over again, gaslighting," Furstenau said during question period on Tuesday.
According to the Beacon report, Dr. Richard Stanwick, then chief medical health officer with Island Health, wrote to Henry in April 2021 warning of a spike in school exposures on Vancouver Island.
Dix said the email was about how COVID cases during spring break were rising, as it had during winter breaks.
"In other words, transmission was less during school than it was during break periods," he said.
Dix said Stanwick recommended the public be reminded to stay at home when they're sick, something the province has consistently recommended.
Dix accused Furstenau of conflating Stanwick's email and Henry's email, which were written months apart.
"Dr. Henry has consistently provided her best advice, and the suggestion that she did otherwise is simply incorrect," Dix said.
"Does that mean that she's right every single time? Of course not. This has been an evolving pandemic that has challenged health officers everywhere in the world."
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