NDP leader Rachel Notley has apologized to the family of a 14-year-old boy who died of cancer for politicizing the tragedy by attacking the UCP on their COVID-19 policies..On Tuesday, Simone Spitzer took to Facebook to call out Alberta Health for labelling her younger brother Nathanael’s death COVID-19-related..Nathanael was, in fact, already dying of Stage 4 brain cancer in palliative care, but tested positive for COVID-19 days before his expected death..The Spitzer family was not only devastated by their loss, but said they were shocked Nathanael’s death was used to add to Alberta Health’s COVID-19 numbers as the youngest COVID-19 death to date, and called it “fake news” in a Tuesday Facebook post..NDP leader Rachel Notley and her MLAs used the death to attack the UCP’s handling of the pandemic..“And I am very sorry for any role my posts, which have now been deleted, played in drawing your incredible loss into a debate about how COVID-19 illnesses and deaths are reported,” tweeted Notley..In a Thursday press conference, Hinshaw apologized to the family..Hinshaw said she was sorry if her comments added to the Spitzer family’s grief..She said in their normal reporting to Alberta Health they include deaths where COVID-19 is a primary or secondary cause of death. A primary cause would be where COVID-19 leads to pneumonia and the eventual death of the patient. A secondary cause would be where COVID-19 makes a heart failure pre-existing condition worse..“At different times we need to adjust the numbers,” said Hinshaw..“Being transparent and timely means we will need to make adjustments.”.Hinshaw said the death of anyone under 18 will bring “higher scrutiny.”.Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
