Thread by @PennyDaflos

There's a famous Hemingway quote describing going bankrupt two ways: "Gradually, then suddenly."
I think that's what's been happening with trust and goodwill with BC public health officers and yesterday was the suddenly.
bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-health-off… @CTVVancouver #bcpoli

Someone leaked these reports to the @VancouverSun. Yet the dep PHO tried to spin the idea it wasn't a leak despite the fact CDC didn't publish them and several pages clearly say “For authorized internal public health use only –not for public distribution."
vancouversun.com/news/local-new…

Gustafson & Henry claimed these were working docs (that didn't say 'draft' or 'V.1') and they're fine with info being public. Henry tried to downplay, insisting most info already public.
Not true. That level of detail has systematically been kept from the public for 14 months.

The biggest shock was when Dr. Henry delivered this whopper: “We are releasing what other provinces are releasing - more than what other provinces are releasing."
That is demonstrably untrue with links and evidence here:
bc.ctvnews.ca/show-your-work…

In the next breath, both Henry and Gustafson explained the reason we're not getting as much info as other cities is because we have a poor data collection system and they're working on giving us more info, like in Toronto.

So are we the best in the country or playing catchup?

Gustafson: “One of the things we really aim for is provincial-level data”
Henry: "There’s a process that it goes through before it’s meaningful"
When they can filter it.
They don't want the public/experts/journos scrutinizing and @katiederosayyj shows why:
vancouversun.com/news/covid-19-…

I used to love watching the People's Court with Judge Marilyn Milian and remember her snapping at someone, "don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining."
She flashed into my head as I was listening to the explanations from public health officials yesterday.

The gradual erosion of trust examples: resistance to mask rules, refusal to acknowledge schools as a source of transmission, blindsiding restaurants on New Year's Eve and the stubbornness to acknowledge how significant airborne transmission is. bc.ctvnews.ca/it-s-hard-to-s…

Where does this leave us?
@sangherabaldev is urging a data reset, with a new era of transparency, which BIPOC advocates have been asking for.
@CarolineColijn points out the data is about you and me, and public health are just stewards of that info.
bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-health-off…

Gustafson said the "goal" is more info in the coming weeks, Henry says they've been working on an interactive website (which other cities had months ago). When I asked if they would commit to the SAME level of detail as in the leaked reports Gustafson emphatically said "Yes."

Then there's this guy, who thinks pointing all this out means I'm trash. Face with raised eyebrow
Anyhow, have a good day, y'all, and get vaccinated when you can! immunizebc.ca