These abstract paintings were inspired by publicly available photos of actual COVID-19 cells from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Though not used to create the art, they acted as a jumping off point that influenced the final three pieces.
Original artwork by Surface Impression (Aedán Crooke) for the Information Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
Ministry of Health & THE ONTARIO DIGITAL SERVICE
COVID-19 Pandemic Data and Analytics help better understand the virus, reduce risks, and stop the spread
An initiative by the Ministry of Health and the Ontario Digital Service to collect, analyze and share meaningful, timely data on COVID-19 contributed to efforts to stop the spread of the virus, help people access vaccinations, and have an open, transparent and intensive public discourse on the pandemic.
The Ministry of Health and Ontario Digital Service collaborated in an unparalleled effort to collect, analyze and communicate COVID-19 pandemic data online and in real time in an effort to help individuals and others better understand the impacts of the virus, reduce risks, and stop the spread.
They implemented a new rapid data collection service where hospitals and long-term care homes regularly submitted capacity information. The data was integrated daily with public health case and testing data, vaccination rates, mortality, and other information to create a seamless pandemic dataset – much of which was incorporated into a publicly accessible website. Data were made available in raw form, allowing subject matter experts to deploy in their own analyses but were also incorporated into easy-to-understand visualizations and other communications products. Innovative analytic and cutting-edge simulation and modelling techniques were pioneered and leveraged to share data with scientists at the COVID-19 Ontario Science Table. They were also frequently incorporated into public communication and media outreach materials.
Combined, these data transparency efforts served as the foundation for sharing an unprecedented level of trusted data and analysis with stakeholders, media and the public during the crisis through press materials, policy documents, data repositories, and other platforms.
This complemented other forms of digital citizen engagement on COVID-19 that allowed individuals and others to access vaccinations, learn about protective measures, support procurement of critical supplies, generate policy ideas to help stop the spread, and engage in an open, transparent, and intensive public discourse on COVID-19.
