Liberals want to resurrect COVID Alert from its grave

The lockdown-loving Liberal government isn’t done with using the pandemic as an excuse to spy on Canadians through the COVID Alert app yet.

Liberals want to resurrect COVID Alert from its grave.

As per a report by True North, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) want to “explore” creating a successor to the disastrous COVID Alert contact tracing app that has wider abilities to collect people’s data. 

An audit describes how the Liberals want to “ensure the successful development” of a “similar app” for future public health measures. 

“The evaluation reviewed a number of lines of evidence, including document and public opinion research (POR) reviews, and interviews with internal and external key informants,” the report reads. 

“As a result, a few lessons learned emerged and should be considered to ensure the successful development and launch of a similar app by the Government of Canada in the future.”

Taxpayers wasted $20 million on the development and launch of the COVID Alert app, which was only actually used by 57,000 people.

Last month the application was shut down by the federal government because of its poor performance and privacy concerns.

Now, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to create an even more invasive contact tracing program. 

“While keeping privacy at the core of app design, explore options to increase the ability to collect data, including personal information, to aid public health measures,” auditors explained.

“Any discussion about the collection of personal information would benefit from early engagement of internal privacy experts…”

The audit comes at a time when the Trudeau government is struggling to justify clinging onto the ArriveCan app at airports.

Similar concerns about privacy surrounding the application have led the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to launch an investigation into whether the app has violated the rights of Canadians. 

“Our office has received and is currently investigating a complaint that raises concerns with respect to the collection of personal information through ArriveCan and subsequent use of that information,” wrote the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Liberals want to resurrect COVID Alert from its grave

PHAC is hiring security guards for ‘quarantine facilities’

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has listed openings for security guards for its “quarantine facilities” in Toronto, York and Halton, Ontario.

The posting requires “risk management and security services for Designated Quarantine Facilities in Ontario.”

The job posting was published last week and will close on September 9 at 2 p.m. EST.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Canada created “Designated Quarantine Facilities” for Canadians unable to quarantine at home after international travel due to proximity with family members. The public became aware of these facilities following reports of Canadians taken from the airport in unmarked vehicles and forcibly placed in a government facility.

In most cases, the facility was a modified hotel. Travellers were typically required to stay in the room for three nights or until they received a negative COVID test.

Quarantine facilities were manned by hotel staff and security guards.

According to the Government of Canada website, “Travellers arriving in Canada who do not have a suitable place to quarantine or isolate may be referred to a designated quarantine facility, upon the direction of a quarantine officer.”

During a stay, travellers are “required to remain in your room until you receive permission and a specific time to leave from a Quarantine Officer at the facility.”

The Public Health Agency of Canada has recently listed security guard job openings for “quarantine facilities” in York, Toronto and Halton, Ontario. pic.twitter.com/30bPX9bdPX

— The Canadian Independent (@canindependent) August 29, 2022

Horror stories frequently emerged from those who stayed at the facilities. Those in forced quarantine were given little to eat and were not allowed to order food. Complaints arose that facilities didn’t comply with specific dietary concerns.

In Quebec, one woman was sexually assaulted during her stay at a facility.

Later in the pandemic, the government required anyone entering Canada by air travel to quarantine at a Designated Quarantine Facilities, costing travellers around $300 per night. Canadians who crossed the border by land were largely exempt from this policy.

The job posting comes as most Canadians have received two doses of a Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccine. Federal and provincial governments have dangled COVID-19 vaccination status as a means to return to normal.

Yet, even Canadians with two doses of the vaccine were not exempt from the government’s stringent travel measures during the pandemic, including a stay at a government hotel.

In August, Ottawa announced funding for a “safe voluntary isolation site” in the Windsor-Essex region in Ontario.

The government continues says the isolation site will be used to accommodate foreign agri-workers who can’t find a place to isolate when they enter Canada. 

PHAC is hiring security guards for ‘quarantine facilities’

Liberal MP announces the construction of a covid internment camp, gets a hostile reception outside

Liberal MP for Windsor-Tecumseh Irek Kusmierczyk gets a hostile reception outside Tecumseh Town hall (Ontario) on monday Aug 22nd. He was attempting to announce the construction of a $28 million dollar local covid internment camp. People remember how Canadians were interned in seedy Toronto hotels against their will, when arriving at Toronto airport.