Ontario’s independent volunteer science table, an invaluable source of information and direction throughout the pandemic, has been told it will be dissolved. When told of the ministry’s denial that they were being shut down, one science table member simply wrote back, “B.S.” No further negotiations are currently scheduled. So what’s happening here seems counterproductive, even if you acknowledge that the science table and the pandemic have both evolved, and every government craves as much control as it can get. If Public Health Ontario was looking to rebuild after years of driving away scientific talent, this seems a poor beginning for Sherar. Correction — 11:10 p.m. Aug. 25, 2022: This article was edited to correct the name of Public Health Ontario head Michael Sherar, which was previously misspelled.

Source: thestar August 26, 2022 10:32 UTC