FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 11, 2022

Rising hospitalizations are showing the King government response to Omicron is flawed

Hampton, PE – After today’s briefing, it is becoming clear the King government’s response to rising cases of COVID in the province is flawed.

“Today the Premier said once again that he is following indicators to let us know whether or not we are on the right track,” said Peter Bevan-Baker, Leader of the Official Opposition. “A quick look at those indicators proves that we are not. Case numbers, hospitalizations, and outbreaks in vulnerable populations are all increasing.”

Also during his comments, the Premier said that when it comes to this outbreak, he doesn’t know where we are.

“I am unsure how that can be the case, especially if the Premier is adamant that he is following the science,” said Bevan-Baker. “Can the Premier share with Islanders the information and modelling he is using to determine the appropriateness of his response to Omicron?”

Given the difficult situation PEI is facing with rising numbers across the board, there needs to be an immediate response to bring things under control. This government is decidedly not doing everything it can to contain the spread of Omicron.

“To get us on the right track and to protect Islanders’ health and a fragile health care system, we need to adjust our measures and improve our response,” said Bevan-Baker. “In previous outbreaks, government has used measures like prioritizing getting doses to the most vulnerable in our province, implementing a circuit breaker, including closing all non-essential activities, and putting in place financial supports for Islanders who are impacted. Where is that leadership now?”

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For media inquiries, please contact:
Jonathan Hamel
Director of Communications
Office of the Official Opposition
Tel: (902) 213-0718
Email: jdhamel@assembly.pe.ca