Why does WECHU publish less COVID-19 data than other Ontario health units?
CBC
Windsorites were given information this week showing the vaccine status of those who had died of COVID-19, data rarely made public by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) yet is readily available in other Ontario jurisdictions.
WECHU's disclosure Thursday showed:
The data provided context in this ongoing pandemic that some Windsorites say should be regularly shared with the public.
"I would like to have legitimate stats, not just words anymore," said Tony Gaffan, who owns a barbershop in downtown Kingsville. He's also a member of town council and plans to bring his concerns around WECHU's reporting to Monday's council meeting.
WECHU's website does not show raw data around the vaccination status of confirmed cases, those hospitalized or people who have died.
Compare that to the Middlesex-London Health Unit, which has detailed data, charts and graphs showing that information.
Toronto Public Health goes even further and provides COVID-19 data around race, income and neighbourhood inequities.
Gaffan finds the lack of transparency frustrating, saying people need the context to to properly understand the risks in the community.
"I think it would definitely make you understand one way or the other on the situation," said Gaffan, who said he's vaccinated and supports people getting the vaccine.
"It's, again, a fear factor that has been non-stop for 20 straight months instead of giving us hope," he said.
CBC News has reached out to WECHU to find out why it doesn't include these details and will update this story when a response is received.
One data point that is not reported by Ontario public health units, that WECHU did include Thursday, is whether pre-existing medical conditions were a contributing factor in a COVID-related death.
Gaffan said other data that would be useful include the ages of people hospitalized and length of hospital stay.
"In the ICU, is it COVID and only COVID alone that they have or do they have other ailments and they happen to have COVID?"