Thread by @ProgressAlberta

The impending collapse of our healthcare system has brought Minister Shandro Dr. Hinshaw out in front of the cameras for a press conference. We're on hold listening to Verdi's Spring waiting for it to begin. We will be live-tweeting the presser. #ableg

The presser also features Dr. Verna Yiu of AHS. Shandro is here to unveil new measures to increase healthcare capacity by freeing up beds and resources.

Shandro says they're adding resources for homecare and continuing care. An extra $22 million to pay for healthcare aides in registered facilities and with registered organizations.

$14 million to support staffing increases for homecare and continuing care facilities as well.

Sounds like the goal is to get people out of the hospital as soon as possible. Something that you need to do when your hospitals are overflowing.

Shando is talking about a continuing care report that the GOA commissioned and that was released in May 2021. Shandro apologizes for the cancelled surgeries and that seems like thats it from Shandro.

Hinshaw up. Reiterating a Twitter thread from earlier today Hinshaw is talking about COVID vaccines and pregnant folks. It is totally safe for pregnant folks to get vaccines so get vaccinated folks.

Last 24 hour COVID count
*1510 new cases
*11% positivity rate
*679 people in hospital
*154 in ICU
*9 deaths

That's an increase of 32 people in hospital and 7 additional people in the ICU.

Masking continues to be mandatory in all indoor public spaces and workspaces. Isolation is still required for people who have symptoms or have tested positive.

Hinshaw justifying her decision to get rid of universal contact tracing right now.

Hinshaw spending a lot of time justifying her decision to cancel universal contract tracing.

Now she's justifying her decision to base her decision on cancelling test-trace-isolate on just the UK's experience. A lot of ass covering going on here.

"Kindness matters," says Hinshaw. Emphasizes the important of respectful dialogue. She just spent 7 minutes justifying her calamitous decisions that have led us to the point where we're at now, our healthcare system on the verge of collapse.

Verna Yiu of AHS is now talking about hospital capacity. ICU capacity is at 87%. This includes the recently activated surge beds.

If those surge beds were not activated we would be at over 130% ICU capacity. We're not experts but this seems very bad.

AHS is postponing non-urgent organ transplants and some cancer surgeries that can be delayed. The Triage protocol has been initiated.

Some of these surgical patients need ICU care. The system currently doesn't have the capacity to care for those people and people with COVID and just regular, unplanned visits to the ICU.

Carrie Tait asking about how $36 million for homecare and continuing care solves the problem of overflowing hospitals that are happening right now. Shandro defers to Yiu.

Bill Fortier asks if the province is actually going to do something about stopping the spread of and bringing in a vaccine mandate as almost every other province has. Shandro dissembles.

Michelle Bellefontaine follows up on vaccine passports. She asks Shandro why is it such a hard question to answer when we see the drastic effects that a vaccine mandate/passport has on vaccination rates in other provinces. Shandro dissembles.

Janet French follows up on vaccine passports. Asks Shandro about what evidence he's relying on justify his decision to not have one.

Shandro gets into a semantic argument with himself about what a vaccine passport is. French ignores his non-answer and moves onto Hinshaw and asks about her many failures. Why should we still have confidence in her considering how poorly she's done?

Hinshaw says she made the best decision with information she had at the time. "Clearly the move to endemic was too early."

"All I can do is continue to go to work, to show up." says Hinshaw. Well, you could resign.

Rick Bell asks several questions in a blustery fashion. Shandro gives a long non-answer. Shandro points to the masking mandate as action they've taken. More dissembling.

This press conference and the government's response to the 4th wave is a sad, cruel joke. Nothing was announced that will restrict the spread of COVID or that will address the issue of ICU and hospital capacity in the short term. s

Meanwhile Hinshaw spent a large portion of today's press conference justifying and excusing her many, many failures. Our political leadership has decided not to to lead. Our public health professionals are still, somehow, in their positions despite their many manifest failures.

That's a wrap. Once again we did not get through with a question.