Thread by @shazmamithani

After some much needed sleep, I've finally been able to wrap my head around yesterday's new measures. Aside from a couple of poorly chosen or meaningless closures, the recommendations have just essentially changed the previous recommendations into rules.

A thread.../1

No indoor gatherings, period. This is the only step that I feel is appropriate. These should have been stopped long ago. The problematic part here is that what is allowed to remain functioning still allows for unnecessary and dangerous gathering of the public. /2

Places of worship can continue to have 1/3 capacity (changed from a recommendation to a rule). As @ryanjespersen mentioned on his show this morning, this still means HUNDREDS of people indoors in some of the larger places of worship in AB. This should be virtual only! /3

Bars, casinos, restaurants remain open at a reduced capacity. Right...we aren't allowed to gather in our homes, but we can with gather others at bars and casinos (not restaurants though, because those are one household/table), but also this: /4

https://twitter.com/KatyIngraham/status/1331405422851330049?s=20

Retail remaining open at 25% capacity and personal services by appt only. This was likely already happening, so will have minimal meaningful impact on numbers. This continues to condone the suffering of small businesses without MUCH needed financial support. /5

Now to closures - businesses that are now fully closed include banquet halls, conference centres, trade shows, concert venues. Who was using these anyway? These closures are meaningless. Perhaps helpful - indoor playgrounds and team sports. /6

Moving to schools - 7-12 will be moving online with an extended winter break for all grades. Wait, let me get this straight...casinos and salons can stay open, but schools move online?! We KNOW that schools reflect community spread and aren't a risk in and of themselves... /7

...yet we choose to sacrifice the wellbeing and mental health of our youth in order to let the rest of Alberta maintain their "civil liberties." All of this without actually supporting these open small businesses with the financial aid they need. /8

All of the above were made with 80% of data missing. That's right - 80% of cases are untraceable. That # will only grow with contact tracing now collapsing. You can't assert that "XYZ" aren't a source of spread when you're missing 80% of the data! We need the Federal app! /9

@jkenney said that we will be looking for an R < 1. Thanks to @AntibioticDoc for clarifying what this means: an R of 0.8 would still mean 800 - 1000 cases/day for several weeks! When cases are growing this quickly, we need a MUCH lower R to prevent system collapse. /10

Lastly, to our healthcare system - honestly, we are screwed. The numbers will continue to rise over the next 2 weeks while we hope that these half measures work. Our ICUs are nearly (if not already) full, our ERs are seeing sicker patients (COVID and not). COVID is here... /11

...We don't have the "beds." Yesterday, @jkenney again stated that we have 2400 acute care beds and 650 ICU beds. I'll refer you to my last thread on this to explain why beds are meaningless without people to make them a reality. /12

https://twitter.com/shazmamithani/status/1327095421693349888?s=20

I'll end by leaving my experience of what the ERs are like now in the video below. This is happening. All we want as HCWs is the best for Albertans. We are dedicated to keeping you safe and healthy, but we need actual restrictions to do this. /13

https://twitter.com/politicalham/status/1331283832729866241?s=20

@diggyderk, @smeep22003 and @muffins135
thank you for clarifying that the school break is not extended and that the last week will be online learning.