Thread by @BarbLarochelle

Covid update starts out with Kenney congratulating himself on the economy. He has been practicing smiling in the mirror before the presser.

More than 30,000 active cases reported. Kenney says with a positivity rate of 30%, it’s actually much higher than that.

Kenney says they announced additional health measures before Christmas—no mingling, no dancing, etc.

Schools out until Jan. 10. “We have to do everything we can” to make schools safe for kids. (Except for all the things we don’t want to do or feel like paying for.) He gives no examples of what these things would be.

Compares us to U.K. and how many people they have with booster shots. We have no one hospitalized for covid with a booster shot (but we have more than a million people not fully vaccinated—where did 10% come from?)

We’re supposed to get booster shots, limit the size of gatherings (if we can), and take rapid tests, when appropriate (and if you can actually get your hands on one). Note that these are all things for US to do and nothing for the government to do. PeRSonAL ReSpoNsiBiLITY.

15 million tests (so 3 million kits?) will arrive before the end of January. 4.3 million of those will be given to students next week, and another 4.3. later in January.

So, the government is basically doing nothing. Dr. Hinshaw is sharing her reflections for the New Year.

We are not powerless, she says. We must take this wave seriously. We must make all efforts proactively. (Translation: this is ALL on you, not on the government)

Ontario is a little more than a week ahead of us, and they shut the place down yesterday, we still need to wait and see how that plays out for them.

She says we have to use every tool at our disposal right now. Nothing from the government, of course. This is on us. New cases.
4570
3323
2059
3013
New cases identified in the last 4 days. Positivity ranged from 28-36%

Here’s the big news: stay home if you are not feeling well.

One of the covid deaths over the days we had no reporting, was a child in the age range of 5-9 years old died. 😞

Reminder: go back to work after 5 days, not 10 days. And remember not to dance or mingle if you are out in public. That’s it. Nothing new so far.

They are watching closely, y’all. And Hinshaw will continue to make recommendations, she says (which Kenney & co. will ignore). Literally not ONE new measure or restriction. Nothing.

David Staples gets in first with attempts to minimize the hospitalizations: other variants, incidental diagnoses, etc. (admitted for something else and found to also have covid)

Did we have Hinshaw ‘not having those numbers at her fingertips’ (for a totally predictable question) on the Bingo card?

People doing something essential can still go to work while sick and before 5 days, but can’t interact with anyone, anywhere else.

Adam McVicar asks why there are no more measures or orders put in place today?
Kenney: (literally)

Kenney reminds us that we have had stringent measures in place since September (because of the 4th wave he set off) and that UCP’s plan is always to do the least possible amount at the last possible moment when it is already too late. And he stands by that.

Follow-up—is there an increase in paediatric cases or their severity? Hinshaw talks about 20-39 year olds (who are not pediatric?) She hasn’t had time to look at the answer to this completely predictable question over her 2nd 5-day break over the weekend. It’s too early to know.

Question about support for daycare. Kenney will talk to Rebecca Schulz about it tomorrow. Too busy to work in a meeting between Dec. 30 and Jan. 4?

Question: What is the strategy right now to prevent having to apologize for doing nothing, yet again? Kenney says more people are vaccinated right now. It’s “the superpower people can get and it’s free” Kenney says. Also, people should follow the measures already in place.

In a free society, Kenney says, it’s up to people to follow the measures. In places with lockdowns, he says, the case numbers “straight up, like a hockey stick”, he says. Unlike our numbers, which are also going straight up, but like something that is not a hockey stick?

Don Braid asks Hinshaw whether they are contemplating any new measures? Hinshaw says she will continue to provide advice, but the decisions are the ‘purview of elected officials’. Braid asks about the Event Centre in Calgary. Kenney is disappointed in the City of Calgary.

Kenney says that putting off the re-entry into schools is not on the table at the covid cabinet meeting tomorrow. It’s so critically important for kids to be in school. Other places realized it was a mistake to close schools. ‘The science is in now.’ Kenney says.

In class transmission has not been a problem, Kenney lies. And kids are at much lower risk, he declares, even though Hinshaw just said they don’t have numbers for pediatric cases in hospital this time around.

Carrie Tait asks about the admission to hospitals going up 25% since Dec. 29. Are they going to do anything about that? Kenney says ICU admission is down in the last 2 weeks. So they will sit back and assess.

French reporter is asking about demoralized, exhausted health care workers. What is the plan? Will we call in help for them? Kenney compares us to other countries and repeats that the ICU numbers are down a bit now.

Kenney says they’ll watch what is happening to the health care system, but the most important thing is for people to get booster shots and follow the measures already in place.

French reporter asks what kind of masks the students will have in schools—N95s? Kenney says they have bought medical masks for students and staff. He asked Dr. Hinshaw if they would buy N95s but was told that’s not necessary. Regular medical masks are good enough.

Hinshaw says she’s had ‘extensive conversations’ with colleagues and there is ‘very little evidence to suggest’ that using N95 masks would matter and the challenges of the discomfort … (my feed was cut there?)