Provincial, Federal Governments Won’t Say if They’ve Evaluated Past COVID Lockdowns in Canada to Gauge Effectiveness

As Canada enters the pandemic’s third year with a slate of new restrictions, neither Ottawa nor any of the provinces are saying if they’ve done a cost-benefit analysis of previous lockdowns

A staff member at a restaurant puts chairs on tables ahead of the 5 p.m. curfew in Montreal on Dec. 31, 2021. The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes

Many provinces have imposed restrictions in response to surging COVID-19 cases, but none have confirmed whether they have evaluated the success of these policies based on data and evidence from previous lockdowns in Canada.

The Epoch Times asked all 13 provinces and territories as well as the federal government whether they have done any assessment of the costs and benefits of their various measures, such as closing down businesses, during the previous waves of the pandemic in order to inform current policy-making amid Omicron and future waves.