Unprecedented: Breaking silos to build solutions
In our Unprecedented series, we’re introducing you to public servants and civic tech practitioners whose work is making a real difference for residents during COVID-19.
May 20, 2020
At the outset of COVID-19 in early March, information about the virus and its potential impact on our health was still emerging. Residents across the country, unexpectedly housebound, had limited access to their regular healthcare providers, and few reliable online options for community-specific instructions on what to do in an emergency. The combination made for a dramatic spike in the demand for telehealth services in every province almost overnight.
Alberta’s team built a prototype around the NHS tool, and after three days of very hard work, they had their first version running by March 13, 2020. In the weeks since, their self assessment tool has been accessed over 3.4 million times. Their efforts enabled government teams across the country to quickly launch localized versions of their own self assessment tools, including Saskatchewan, whose tool launched overnight with Alberta’s help.
You can check out other entries in our Unprecedented series on our blog, or join the discussion on Twitter using the #unprecedented hashtag. If there’s a story you think we should know about, share it here.