Hinshaw provided wrong Lethbridge COVID numbers to media
By Lethbridge Herald on March 23, 2021.
A story in the Lethbridge Herald on Saturday (“Province taking notice of high city COVID numbers”) noted that Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health, said in her media briefing on Thursday that Lethbridge had seen an increase of 450 cases of COVID in just three weeks.
In her video recording that the public has access to online, Hinshaw said that on Feb. 25 there were 19 cases in Lethbridge and by Thursday, when Hinshaw made her comments, there were 469.
The 19 cases three weeks ago was incorrect. Sherene Khaw spokesperson for Alberta Health confirmed it in an email to Southern Alberta Newspapers on Saturday.
“…our apologies. Yes, the number she provided during the media availability was incorrect. It should have been 196 cases, not 19. We sent out a correction via tweet shortly after the media availability, and corrected the transcript online: https://twitter.com/CMOH_Alberta/status/1372676675968724992
Southern Alberta Newspapers suggested on Saturday that a notation be added to the video to make viewers aware of the misinformation.
As of Monday morning the video had not been corrected.
The incorrect information may have stemmed from confusing the city of Lethbridge with the County of Lethbridge.
On Feb. 24 there were 19 cases in the County of Lethbridge and 189 in the city of Lethbridge.
Feb. 25 there were 21 cases in the County of Lethbridge and 196 in the city of Lethbridge.
On March 16 there were 13 cases in the county and 469 in the city.
On March 17 there were 19 cases in the county and 464 in the city.
The correct information is that the city of Lethbridge saw an increase of 273 active COVID cases in a three-week period, not 450 as stated in the Lethbridge Herald on Saturday. On Feb. 25 there were 196 active cases and on March 17 a total of 469 active cases for a total of 273 additional cases in three weeks.
Link to video of press conference by Dr. Deena Hinshaw on Thursday March 18:
https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx#statement.
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