BristolUK

We recently had 16 cases of Legionnaires' disease in the city. Fortunately nobody died.

After narrowing the source down to a named part of the city and eventually to a cooling system in a particular building, the health department are refusing to say where it was.

They don't want people to change their habits and not go there now it has been made safe.

Of course it was safe before it became not safe and there's been no assurance that whatever caused it to stop being safe won't happen again.

But what of those people who may change their plans and not go to the area that was originally named as the source even though they may be going to a building that is definitely not the one that was the source? How many other businesses may suffer through any loss of custom from people changing their habits unnecessarily?

What about people who have had some health issues and they dismissed their symptoms as those of a cold, cough or flu but if they discovered they had been in the building which had been the source of 16 cases of Legionnaires' disease (and more?) they could see their doctor and have their condition properly identified and treated if it did happen to be more than a cold?

scrubbedexpat091

There was a cluster of Legionnaires last year around these parts, but the health authority for the region did state where once they located the source, water cooling towers at a local mall and Wal-Mart.

It is interesting at times to see how different government agencies handle things, Vancouver Police for example tends to be more public when it comes to providing information to the public, where the RCMP is more secretive for example.

BristolUK

And it goes on.

Coronavirus related but that's not the issue.

CBC website releases information that New Brunswick has its firs presumptive case of the dreaded lurgy. The official information includes the age range of a woman returning from France and now in self isolation at home in South Eastern NB. Most likely Greater Moncton but could be some smaller places.

They make a point of saying that's all the information being released.

This morning the official information has been amended to her having arrived from France. It's as if someone has realised that "returned" means she was already living here and that's too much information, whereas if they say "arrived" then that could be someone already here or newly arrived. Obsessed with secrecy.

Not even an arrival date or where she changed planes.

Of course the authorities will be tracking down those who may have come into contact - you know, there's mention of those within three rows on the plane, that sort of thing.

But what about other stuff like someone helping her with her suitcase at baggage claim; being in the airport toilet at the same time which might be as much or more at risk than being three rows away; the taxi driver that drove her home (the journey may not have been recorded if she got in at the airport taxi stand).

If they at least announced her arrival date and the flight connecting to Moncton - or conversely announced that she arrived at another airport and came to Moncton by train or other means, then some people would know they had nothing to worry about - at least from her.

Now contrast this with the openness elsewhere.

Arsenal football club announces that yesterday's game was off because last month there was a social gathering after they played Greek club Olympiacos and the owner of that club has been confirmed as having the virus. So, given the potential for passing it on, yesterday's match was off. But the weekend's game can go ahead and there's a full explanation of how that makes sense because of the 14 day 'quarantine' period since the social gathering.
Everyone knows when, where and why.

Tom Hanks releases a statement about he and his wife have tested positive. Okay that's voluntary but the news report says that he's in Australia for a movie and a member of the production team was found to have it and how all those connected were tested. Everyone knows where they stand and maybe there are those with no official connection but equally at risk. They can do something about it.

The NBA season has been suspended after a player on one of the teams has tested positive. Player not named but the team has been named so that alerts anyone - official or otherwise - who may have had some contact.

A little openness allows anyone who may have been at risk to respond appropriately. Secrecy not only does not do that, it may cause those who have no need to worry to do so and maybe more.

BristolUK

Apparently University of New Brunswick students who attended a conference in Toronto on mining might have been exposed to Coronavirus.
NS has also confirmed 8 employees who also attended are self isolating while NB refuses to say anything, not even whether anyone attended.

scrubbedexpat091

I think sometimes Canada has too much secrecy sure don't give out names, addresses and such, but the level of secrecy in this country is at times concerning especially when it comes to police, one should be wary of police agencies who operate in secrecy and not transparent with information.

This article from 2019 touches on things a bit.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...rting-everyone

It took me nearly a year to get records from Ontario from a public agency about myself, in the end I got the records, but they didn't want to provide them easily and made it difficult.

BristolUK

Thanks for that. The comparison with the US is a bit weird because I'm always astonished how mid-case a lawyer or the DA will appear on the steps of the courthouse and make some sort of statement that just seems so wrong and in the UK there would likely be a contempt of court or mistrial declared.

When there's been some sort of incident like those criminal ones in that article - home invasion, violence etc - at least the RCMP here make some sort of effort among the lack of information to reassure the public. "Not a random incident" is a fairly common one.

scrubbedexpat091

Out my way RCMP is the most tight lipped. Vancouver Police is a little more open and other municipal forces fall in between for the most part.

BristolUK

Earlier I posted that other Atlantic provinces had made public certain information relevant to some of their student residents while NB was refusing to comment.

How's this - The first case in NB was someone returning from France. The province refused to give any information about date of arrival or place of arrival; most likely to have been at one of Canada's other airports and then a domestic flight to Moncton. (at the time, they wouldn't even say Moncton but they've been a little bit more forthcoming since, referring to Zones of the province).

Since then, a Prince Edward Island resident is either presumptive or positive (I don't recall which) and flew Toronto to Moncton on her way home to PEI. The relevant information regarding the flight has been made available by PEI but not NB.

Furthermore, it seems there's the possibility of University of NB students coming into contact with a presumptive case or two. Obviously the province has contacted the University who have made public the date of possible contact, the 2 rooms involved and the times the two presumptive students were there.

Nothing released about who, but enough information for anyone potentially affected to know of that possibility.

But the information came from the University rather than the Government who remains schtum.