The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is set to hold its first in-person briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic since the federal election was called on Aug. 15, according to statements from the agency and Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam.

News of the upcoming in-person briefing — slated for Friday, Sept. 3 — comes days after sources told Global News on Wednesday that the agency doesn’t plan to hold any more in-person health updates until at least the election was over.

Read more:
Federal COVID-19 briefings stopped during election, sources say. Experts concerned

In her weekly statement sent on Friday, Tam said that she would be personally providing an update of the latest COVID-19 epidemiological modelling at a briefing the following week.

Shortly before the election was called, PHAC had turned to churning out news releases once a week instead of their usual live briefings. Sources told Global News then that there was a possibility that the agency’s position on the briefings could change.

Story continues below advertisement


Click to play video: 'Singh criticizes Trudeau after federal COVID-19 briefings halted during election'



Singh criticizes Trudeau after federal COVID-19 briefings halted during election


Singh criticizes Trudeau after federal COVID-19 briefings halted during election

When previously asked about the next in-person update, PHAC told Global News that the agency would continue “to closely monitor COVID-19 activity in Canada,” and that it would including an update on the pandemic’s modelling in Tam’s “written statement on September 3, 2021.”

Experts told Global news earlier this week that the decision to not hold any in-person updates left them concerned and disappointed over the politics of the decision.

Read more:
Conservatives request probe into freeze on COVID-19 briefings during election

“Daily in-person updates are really important,” said Jessica Mudry, chair of Ryerson University’s School of Professional Communication.

“The Public Health Agency of Canada shouldn’t be talking about politics. They should be talking about public health.”

Story continues below advertisement

More to come…

— With files from Twinkle Ghosh



© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Post source: Global News

You May Also Like

Football club captain, 21, hanged himself night out drinking and taking cocaine, inquest hears 

A football club captain was found hanged after telling his friends he…

NYC health officials REINSTATE face mask advisory indoors and in crowds

New York City health officials have re-instated advice for face masks to…

What REALLY happens to your body if you ditch alcohol for a month: Experts reveal the health changes you’ll see each week…

Giving up alcohol completely for a month may feel like a daunting…

Covid Delta variant ‘about 40% more transmissible’, says Matt Hancock | Coronavirus

The new Delta variant of coronavirus appears to be about 40% more…