Thread by @MsAmyMacPherson

1/43 So far I've supported @fordnation's response to the #COVID19 pandemic in #ONpoli, but this marks a turning point that recklessly plays with fire & a return to partisan agendas that will explode the death rate in rural Ontario

See #THREAD for details

cbc.ca/news/canada/to…

2/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Although I appreciate the political pressures on Premier Ford to re-open the economy, he's become insulated in a #TOpoli bubble that is utterly tone deaf & detrimental to Conservative strongholds in cottage country

3/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

I'm speaking in these partisan terms in an effort to get through to Premier Ford, that his predetermined decision to send urban Ontario to cottage country for the May 2-4 holiday is so mistaken it will cost him votes

4/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

First, lets address the science Premier Ford is now keen to ignore, at a direct cost to lives & the ability of our health care system to function

Canada is NOT flattening the curve

https://twitter.com/barryjcooke1/status/1257176889610903560

5/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

What Canada has done is LENGTHEN the curve as a bare minimum goal to prevent hospitals from running out of ICU beds & ventilators

But that's why goal was changed to PLANKING the curve, to decrease overall infections

6/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Despite #BCpoli, #NBpoli & #PEIpoli success with PLANKING the curve, the same is NOT true in Ontario & #polQC

Central Canada is still causing an infection slope trajectory that is bending upwards, comparable to US & UK

7/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

It's madness for Ontario to base its health policy on the stats of other provinces that are doing much better

What's happening in Victoria & St John is NOT the same as what's happening in #TOpoli & the GTA

8/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Ontario, #polQC & #ABleg are responsible for driving Canada's overall stats out of control because they're refusing to #StayTheCourse required to #PlankTheCurve

But even defiant Francois Legault is now backpeddling

9/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

In the most crass terms, because lives are on the line, does Premier Ford really wish to follow Jason Kenney who is reaching a 50% infection rate due to his personal distrust of scientific data?

https://twitter.com/RachelNotley/status/1257425856483463168

10/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

While #ABleg may vote Conservative no matter what, Ontario is a different story

It doesn't seem wise to base Ontario health policy on Alberta, when Conservative govts have a history of being turfed here, ie #Walkerton

11/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

It also doesn't seem wise for Premier Ford to join the 2 separatist provinces (#polQC & #ABleg) in their approach to defying Canada's pandemic management, when the fickle economic engine of Canada resides in Ontario

12/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

From that #CDNecon perspective, the heads of our largest national business clubs (that are traditionally Conservative aligned) have all appeared on #CBCPnP to champion staying the course, to AVOID a W-shaped recovery

13/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

So Premier Ford's announcement (proposing mass migration of city dwellers to cottage country in time for May 2-4) is out of step with the biz community

Instead it joins the chorus of a leaderless CPC & separatists

14/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Premier Ford's change in stance further defies Ontario data

An unacknowledged epidemic of spread within #ONpoli hospitals sees 11% of attendees BECOME infected, with an astronomical death rate of 14%

https://twitter.com/DFisman/status/1257267676361220097

15/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Public health is worried that patients who need care unrelated to the pandemic are avoiding Ontario hospitals because they're afraid to become newly infected

Yet the data prove those fears are substantiated

16/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

So patients who haven't caught the coronavirus are well-advised to avoid the hospital (unless it's a life & death situation like heart attack, stroke, etc) until Premier Ford can investigate & resolve hospital spread

17/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Furthermore, Premier Ford based his good news projection about encouraging May 2-4 travel on a 1-day dip of cases over the weekend

Weekends often decrease infections, but Ontario is still spiking during the workweek
.

18/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

More inconvenient data was released today that identifies Canada as THE WORST offender of all countries, when it comes to warehousing the pandemic in long term care facilities (66% of cases)

https://twitter.com/DrSamirSinha/status/1257382809473335297

19/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Our lax approach to #StayHome & #StaySafe has now imperiled the Ontario hospital system as well as senior citizens, as if those voters are merely collateral damage

And it's the working class that spreads it to them

20/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Now Premier Ford is compounding the problem by proposing to unleash the asymptomatic spreaders & those who suffer lighter symptoms all across rural Ontario & cottage country, to selfishly celebrate the May 2-4 weekend

21/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

But Ontario has the largest population in Canada by far, as well as the greatest amount of senior citizens who predominantly retired in cottage country

Many of them voted for Premier Ford & now they could die for it

22/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

This is what I mean about the #TOpoli bubble

In cottage country we don't have hospitals in each community. We must visit larger towns & often have one health centre to serve an entire geographic region

23/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Rural Ontario doesn't even have sufficient COVID-19 testing centres to service the populations that live here full-time, let alone an influx of cottagers

We already risk increasing the spread via travel for healthcare

24/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Then there's the logistics beyond healthcare

#TOpoli has coped with supply chain issues by prioritizing the GTA & leaving cottage country to languish

Rural grocery stores still have empty meat, veggie & TP shelves

25/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Moreover, cottage country is impacted by unaddressed environmental issues that have languished due to the necessary quarantine

For example, #WasagaBeach (most popular & longest fresh water beach in the world) flooded

26/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

As Premier Ford contemplates unleashing #TOpoli on #WasagaBeach & #Muskoka, our main thoroughfare had to close for the entire spring & summer season due to repeated flooding from #GeorgianBay

barrie360.com/beach-drive-cl…

27/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

#WasagaBeach was caught in a perfect storm between a #ClimateCrisis & the pandemic quarantine

All those businesses that endured repeated flooding have yet to assess & resolve damage such as the threat of toxic mold

28/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

So Premier Ford is contemplating the release of urban asymptomatic spreaders on a cottage country community that has no healthcare, insufficient groceries, currently unstable infrastructure & a 55% retiree population

29/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Additionally, the mayor of #WasagaBeach wrote to Premier Ford requesting help with #COVIDIOTS & our massive stretch of unstaffed, continuous provincial parks

But there's been no response

cbc.ca/news/canada/to…

30/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

The #WasagaBeach OPP also don't have the resources to cover Premier Ford's obligations to our municipality, as mentioned in the previous link

We're all looking forward to #TOpoli visitors - just not yet or for May 2-4

31/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

#WasagaBeach has long been at loggerheads with the province over the hectares of provincial parks that are located here

Last year Premier Ford's budgetary cuts to OMNR closed some of our parks for the 2019 season

32/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

One of the provincial parks that was closed in #WasagaBeach prior to COVID-19 is in environmental crisis

The protected parabolic sand dune is dangerously collapsing & Premier Ford abandoned it

simcoe.com/news-story/651…

33/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

So #WasagaBeach is left with hoards of provincially protected land that Ontario declined to staff via the 2019 austerity budget

It has 3 enviro emergencies that are being ignored & Premier Ford is declining to respond

34/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

While #WasgaBeach voters are generally fond of balancing the budget, they didn't expect cuts to close the majority of local land that falls under provincial control, or to be left in a lurch in enviro emergencies

35/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Things have gotten so bad in #WasagaBeach that despite its reputation as a guaranteed Conservative stronghold, property taxes have uncharacteristically increased to make up for Premier Ford's austerity budget

36/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Things have gotten so bad in #WasagaBeach that despite the increase to property taxes, we've also had to absorb cuts to make up for the provincial shortfall

Now garbage & recycling collection occurs bi-weekly

37/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

All these circumstances are compounding in #WasagaBeach at the same time as the pandemic & now Premier Ford is threatening to unleash #TOpoli on a resort town that can't cope with healthcare OR enviro emergencies

38/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

If the proposed May 2-4 cottagers hurt themselves recreating in any way, #WasagaBeach also has no Tylenol to help recover

It's been on back order for a while as #TOpoli head offices prioritize the GTA during COVID-19

39/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

I beg Premier Ford to reconsider opening cottage country for May 2-4. In no way can #WasagaBeach handle an influx in its current state

We need time to recover from flooding, supply chain issues & lack of healthcare

40/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

In case Premier Ford needs more convincing, just look at what's happening to this Conservative stronghold

It can no longer be taken for granted as voters have been registering their dissent

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simcoe%E2…

41/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

That's not to mention the Ontario Progressive Conservatives are facing their own crisis in #WasagaBeach, as one of Premier Ford's most esteemed MPP's was destroyed by an #LGBTQ2S sex scandal

thestar.com/politics/provi…

42/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

So with respect, Premier Ford, the provincial Conservatives have no representation in #WasagaBeach, just as well-to-do retirees, health workers, & biz leaders are beginning to question your judgement regarding May 2-4

43/43 #THREAD Re #COVID19 in #ONpoli #CDNpoli cc @fordnation

Ontario is so close to reaching a point in the pandemic it can manage, that would avoid a W-shaped recovery due to successive lockdowns & premature confidence

We still have a few issues to sort out. Plz #StayTheCourse

@threadreaderapp Unroll, please & thank you very much

44/43 #COVID19 #TOpoli #ONpoli

Here is my thread to @fordnation regarding the proposal to open Ontario cottage country for the May 2-4 holiday, on a shareable webpage

I ask Premier Ford to reconsider this shortsighted decision, with reasons enclosed

threadreaderapp.com/thread/1257502…