Thread by @mattbuxton

Dunleavy: "The goal was to make sure the system didn't collapse. ... Alaska's done a very good job."

He says the state's low death rate is evidence of the good job the state's done.

#akleg #akgov

https://twitter.com/adndotcom/status/1440782454441136131

Dunleavy then focuses a bunch on breakthrough cases: "The vaccinations aren't 100% foolproof, we know that now."

(We knew that then, dude)

#akgov

Dunleavy: "As society goes about their business, there's definitely an emergency going on in the hospitals."

He says the reason hospitals are overstrained is because of burnout akin to what every other industry has experienced in the pandemic.

#akgov

BREAKING: Dunleavy says people should "seriously" consider getting a vaccine.

#MissionAccomplished

He adds that people should give vaccination some "serious thought."

Dunleavy: "We're on top of this. We've always been on top of this."

And reiterates that the death rate is still low.

#akgov

Dunleavy says everyone should keep in mind that even though 400+ people have died from covid, that more than 8,000 Alaskans died from other reasons.

Then he adds covid is real.

#akgov

Dunleavy:

Now up is DHSS Commissioner Crum. He says most of the concerns raised by the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association have already been met.

Now he's talking about "alternative care."

#akgov

Crum says in order to meet the stress on the system, he's signed an update to the state's public health emergency that would give health care providers access to... committees. Something about transferring patients.

#akgov

They're announcing 400-500 health care contractors from DHL Solution. Mostly nurses with a handful of other specialists. 1 Physician.

How'd they get that many? Cuz Alaska's enticing and a short-term contract is nice.

#akgov

The State of Alaska has implemented crisis standards of care throughout the state. It was only briefly mentioned by Crum, where he was talking about opening up access to "committees" and waiving some liabilities.

#akgov

adn.com/alaska-news/20…

Important to note that much of this won't come online until later in the month. All the new contractors still need to go through a streamlined certification.

"Our top priority is to protect our health care system and we've demonstrated that (through daily meetings)," says Public Health director Heidi Hedberg.

Dr. Anne Zink opens up by recognizing the health care workers who've been struggling to meet the surge and have been "violently attacked at times."

"We are at the worst place in the entire pandemic."

#akgov

Zink with some basic overview of the statistics. Basically put: The hospitalizations are younger and staying longer (because older people tend to die faster).

The average age of unvaccinated hospitalizations is 44. Vaccinated hospitalizations is 66.

#akgov

Zink says 10% of cases are in the vaccinated. 8% of hospitalizations are vaccinated.

Zink says people need to get vaccinated. She also notes that there are real, legitimate treatments like monoclonal antibodies.

She pleads to "not get distracted" by fake treatments like ivermectin.

Adds: "Don't use things like welding oxygen."

She urges people to please not wait to get tested and treated (with real treatments) because the longer you wait, the more hopeless your case becomes.

Zink pleas for "kindness and compassion" in the face of the active disinformation campaigns that are seeking to undermine the health care system.

#akgov

Zink: Wear your mask in indoor spaces.

#akgov

Dunleavy, who has refused to issue a disaster declaration because of the politics: "I think it has been politicized across the board and think it's unfortunate. ... Even in the health care field, you have folks with different opinions."

#akgov

Dunleavy: "Everyone do their best not to politicize it, I would ask the press not to politicize it, I would ask politicians not to politicize it."

Adds: "I think everyone agrees there's a pandemic."

#akgov

And now he's lecturing the press about the politics of the pandemic.

(Dunleavy is also suing Biden over the vaccine mandate)

#akgov

Dunleavy is now talking about meeting a tsunami "with locked arms together on the shore."

Adds: "The scientific community is not unanimous in their view."

#akgov

Questions: Are the accusations against the health care facilities unwarranted?

Dunleavy: "My experience is the capacity is very tight." But then adds it's because of burnout and hiking accidents. "The last thing I want to do is become melodramatic."

#akgov

What about masking or other mandates when the cost of not taking them is so high?

Dunleavy: "There's all kind of costs when you take one route. ... The health care part was going to be difficult but the ramifications for society are going to be there much longer."

#akgov

Then Dunleavy asks whether @Nat_Herz got vaccinated and asks whether he got it because he mandated it? No.

Dunleavy: "The politicization of the entire issue has caused a lot of people to question the route to take."

#akgov

He says mandates aren't needed because the vaccine is available and so is monoclonal antibodies.

Next question: Why hasn't Dr. Zink been tweeting anymore?

Zink: "Because I've been busy. ... Our health care system is in crisis right now."

#akgov

Zink adds that she and her team "has been able to speak truthfully about the science."

She adds that her team is about the science and numbers. Dunleavy is about the policy.

Then Dunleavy pops in again to go after critics of his administration: "It's all about elections and campaigns for these people ... that's a pox on their house!"

#akgov

The state has spent $2M on rapid at-home tests. Zink says it's needed because K-12 schools don't have the staff/resources to do adequate on-site testing.

#akgov

Asked about what the state can do to help combat burnout/collapse of the health care system, Hedberg says it's important to have mental health support for them... as well as getting outside and being active.

#akgov

Asked whether there'd be a line where he'd consider health mandates?

Dunleavy says it's about individuals being able to take care of themselves with a vaccine and monoclonal antibodies. "We'll just deal with it when it comes our way."

#akgov

Dunleavy says he "anticipates" the additional health care workers will take care of the surge.

"The vast majority of Alaskans, at one point, will have the antibodies either through infection or vaccination. ... We'll just have to deal with it."

#akgov

Margie notes that the governor is talking out both sides of his mouth, calling the virus serious but keeps on talking about how scientists are split and people are right to be questioning things.

#akgov

She also asked what kind of feedback he's hearing.

Dunleavy: ""Everyone thinks I'm doing a fantastic job and there's nothing to change... I'm kidding. ... I wish there was a straight line to a solution"

He again "strongly" urges people to get vaccinated.

#akgov

Asked about the state's crisis standards of care, Zink says there's not actually any such law on the books. She says it's primarily about allocating physical resources, noting that ICU nurses are caring for 2x the normal load and ICU folks being treated in other settings.

#akgov

Question from the Frontiersman: Dunleavy, will you ever do more than strongly suggest vaccinations?

Dunleavy: "Alaskans know we have a vaccination. I've taken the vaccination. I've said Alaskans should seriously consider getting vaccinated. ... I'm not going to cajole Alaskans."

Then he goes back to "no moar politicization of the pandemic."

"The state's job is to make sure our system is viable and doesn't collapse. ... It's the individual's job to make a decision for themselves."

So the answer to the question of "Will you ever do anything more than 'strongly suggest' people consider getting vaccinated?" is "NO."

After saying that natural immunity will be a key part of it, he's asked whether he's taking a "hands-off" approach to the pandemic:

Dunleavy it's not hands off! "We wouldn't have been the first to get this vaccination moving"

(The tribal health care system that did that.)

In closing, Dunleavy reiterates that the big problem with the hospitals is the burnout and unwillingness to work in the rest of the industry.

#akgov

He's still pissy about the politicization of the pandemic (by the liberal side of things): "There's a lot of stuff happening in the blogosphere. ... Not to profit off the misery of Alaskans."

#akgov

Dunleavy: "This is a serious issue that we need to take seriously."

#akgov