(Tiffany Goodwein/ CHATNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

‘A lot right:’ Barnes defends province’s handling of pandemic

Nov 17, 2020 | 5:23 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB- Amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases across the province, MLA Drew Barnes is defending the province’s handling of the pandemic.

The province has reported almost 4,000 cases of COVID-19 over the past four days.

On Monday the province recorded 20 deaths, the single largest number of deaths ever recorded in the province since the pandemic began.

With the rise in case numbers, the UCP Government has faced scrutiny and there have been ongoing calls for the province to take a tougher stance to curb the spread.

Last week a group of doctors called for a two-week emergency shutdown, warning the acute care system will be overburdened if stricter measures aren’t put in place, and today the opposition is demanding better COVID-19 tracking and modeling and a proper sick-pay program for front-line health care workers.

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Despite calls for greater action and the jump in case numbers MLA Drew Barnes said the Alberta Government has done “a lot right.”

“The local decision making, letting different regions, letting different councils have a say I think has gone a long way because the virus has had different effects in different areas,” he said.

When pressed about critics calling for more stringent measures, Barnes said;

“This is a partnership. The first and the best line of defense against the virus is you, yourself, and your family and Medicine Hattters have been great at protecting themselves, protecting each other,” he said.

The province has taken a personal responsibility approach for much of their handling of the pandemic, which Barnes reiterated that he supports, noting the successes in Medicine Hat and Southeastern Alberta.

“Southeastern Alberta and Medicine Hat is a perfect example. We are one of the areas with the fewest per capita cases. We are one of the areas that since the pandemic has allowed the most individual responsibility, seems to be working,” he said

Medicine Hat currently has 51 active cases.