Ontario Public Health has announced that it is taking over the “operation and oversight” of the Ontario Science Advisory Board, which was previously hosted by the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
He says the move, which will take effect on April 4, “will create a permanent table home that will help boost its provincial resources and ensure it can maintain strong ties with the wider academic community.” .
“PHO is excited to welcome the Science Advisory Table,” said Dr. PHO Vice President and member of the science board Dr. Brian Schwartz in a press release. “We look forward to continuing to support the Ontario Government providing reliable and independent scientific and technical advice to the Ontario Government as we move towards recovery from COVID-19 and to assist in preparing for and responding to future emergencies. public health “.
The 35-member Scientific Advisory Board was formed in July 2020 and provides systematic advice to the Ford Government on pandemic management and modeling.
The table has also generated reports on a myriad of pandemic-related issues, ranging from vaccine strategies to how to use rapid antigen testing more effectively.
The decision to fold the board in Ontario Public Health comes just days after retiring science director Dr. by removing the mask command.
“You can call it whatever you want, you know. “Whether it’s a resurgence of the Omicron wave we had or a sixth wave, the point is to really understand that this is not a BA.2 wave,” Juni said Tuesday night.
According to the announcement, the scientific panel will continue to consist of “independent, volunteer and impartial experts”.
However, in a statement, NDP Health critic France Gélinas accused the Ford government of undermining the panel’s independence.
“The Scientific Advisory Board was instrumental in giving the people of Ontario a clear picture of where we are in the pandemic without government rhetoric or political rotation. “The people of Ontario trust the Science Board to tell us everything about the forecasts and what the province needs to do to avoid the worst.” “Doug Ford’s choice to weaken and undermine the Science Table’s independence has worried people, for good reason.”
