By Canadian Press

Shandro defends province’s COVID-19 tracing app

Nov 18, 2020 | 9:26 AM

Alberta’s health minister is defending Alberta’s COVID-19 tracing app – despite revelations it has tracked just 19 cases since the spring.

Tyler Shandro says he will use any resource at his disposal in the fight against the pandemic.

But he says Alberta won’t sign on to the federal tracing app, because it is not tied into the provincial contact tracing system.

Shandro’s comments come as the province deals with sharply rising COVID-19 cases that are putting a strain on the health system and overwhelming contact tracers.

There are just over 10,000 active cases in Alberta.

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The province reported 773 new infections today.

The Opposition NDP says Premier Jason Kenney’s United Conservative government won’t use the federal tracing app because of partisan animosity towards Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

NDP Leader Rachel Notley says the province needs to put Albertans first, rather than trust a provincial app that is feeding very little information into a broken contact-tracing system.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2020.

The Canadian Press