On March 14 and 15, GSL Director Steven Hoffman appeared in a number of print and online publications discussing the latest COVID-19 developments in Canada and around the world.
In an interview with Global News discussing the time frame when a vaccine against COVID-19 might be available, Hoffman explained that at the earliest it would take about a year until a functional vaccine would be deployed. He added that there is focus and pressure to get a vaccine as fast as possible and that researchers should be given the best chance possible to develop it. Read the full article here.
In a second interview with Global News, Hoffman reiterated his opinion regarding the idea of travel bans during this coronavirus outbreak – that they don’t work. Upon being prompted when it would be prudent to institute such travel restrictions he answered:
“In terms of asking about the right timing, the right timing is probably never. I think they serve the purpose of showing that the government is doing something and taking this effort seriously,” he says. “My concern is that it will likely end up causing more harm than good from a public health perspective.”
Read the rest of the article here.
Steven Hoffman was also featured in a couple of articles on the CBC’s online news platform. In an article by health reporter Amina Zafar, Hoffman again discussed the inefficacy of travel bans. In a piece by CBC Manitoba, he discussed different Canadian jurisdictions’ measures to combat the further spread of COVID-19. Hoffman argued that it is still vitally important that decisions are based on the best available science. Read the full article here.
Last but not least, Steven Hoffman was featured in the New York Times’ Canada Letter, a weekly newsletter by the paper’s Canada correspondent Ian Austen. In it, Hoffman discusses Canada’s Quarantine Act and what powers it lends to the government when implementing measures against the spread of COVID-19. Read the article here.
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