Provinces that acted faster (in alignment with public health science) have done better dealing with COVID-19

A Dec. 26, 2020 CBC article is entitled: “Provinces that acted faster had more success limiting spread of COVID-19, data shows: Analysis of new data suggests Atlantic provinces that remained on high alert had effective approach.”

An excerpt reads:

The Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker evaluates governments based on several measures, including containment policies (travel restrictions, school closures), health policies (mask usage, testing programs), and economic policies (wage subsidies, debt relief).

After nearly 10 months of pandemic and two waves of infection, the data tells a clear story. Provinces that remained vigilant, particularly those in Atlantic Canada, avoided major outbreaks, while some that dropped their guards have struggled to contain surging case rates.

COVID-19 involves two key issues: science and timing

From this report and others, we can say that COVID-19 involves two key issues.

The first concerns governance (how political decisions are made, in a given jurisdiction): Is the governance aligned with the science or is it mostly concerned (as has been the case, say, with Ontario and Alberta) about messaging (in alignment or in many cases in non-alignment with the science)?

The second is related; the second matter is a matter of timing. Does governance put a premium on acting quickly, or does it moves ponderously slowly?