BREAKING: All hospital workers in Vancouver have received memos from their health authorities telling them to hide inside and avoid showing any signs they’re healthcare staff during an anti-vaxx/restriction convoy tomorrow @CTVVancouver#vanpoli#canpoli bc.ctvnews.ca/vancouver-heal…
Mayor @kennedystewart is not mincing words about the planned event
The focus is on Omicron (as it shd be) but I just want to caution people looking at case counts to gauge how BC is doing
There's now a massive disconnect between cases/deaths compared to other provs @GovCanHealth data as of Fri, comparing active cases to deaths in the past wk 1/
Very smart people like @DrMtyndall (the former head of the BCCDC) and @Dr_Conway_VIDC have been very actively calling for more testing but those warnings and pleas have been largely ignored by #bcpoli decision makers 2/ bc.ctvnews.ca/blindly-going-…
Just last week, our PHO once again pooh-poohed rapid tests because they don't find enough cases
The feds are paying for them! Even if they only find a small number isn't it worth it? Why would #bcpoli get in the way?
I haven't heard a credible answer 3/ bc.ctvnews.ca/ministry-staff…
It was a busy news week and this got a little lost, so let's take a closer look at changes around emergency medical care in BC
It's been a long time in the making, but will take time to implement -- and #bcpoli isn't using a quick win strategy that could help in the meantime🧵 1/
What do I mean? Right now, ~40% of calls to @BC_EHS are NOT emergencies
Want to improve 911 response? Ad blitz across media w a clear msg:
🚨Require urgent medical care? Call 911
🩺Need medical advice or help seeing a doc? Call 811, they can hook you up 2/ healthlinkbc.ca/more/about-hea…
I asked the new @BC_EHS boss about this but a public info campaign isn't her priority, it's hiring paramedics That's obviously hugely impt, but if you cd lighten the workload by saturating public w knowledge they can access a doc thru 811, why not try? 3/ bc.ctvnews.ca/we-re-taking-a…
Abbotsford's mayor said he didn't want to alarm "the whole city" about this evacuation, and the Min insisted he didn't want to "panic" a large area
BUT the @AlertReady system goes through targeted cell towers, so urban areas allow for more precision 2/
I spoke w @AlertReady myself and they explained:
➡️Govt decides where the risk is and warning needed
➡️There can be spillover msgs depending on cell tower range/overlap
➡️That's why the text msg is impt: "If you live in Sumas Prairie...if not..."
How would that cause panic? 3/
BC's Min. of Citizen's Services insists $25/FOI request won't be a barrier, but: 1. Mins & agencies are increasingly punting routine requests to FOI 2. They know newsroom budgets are insanely tight and they can further starve journalists of info that way #bcpoli
The rationale is other provs charge and "BC receives more FOI requests annually than the other 3 western provinces combined."
Repeat after me: stories like this shouldn NOT require FOI, they should be disclosed as they're completed: bc.ctvnews.ca/dozens-dead-hu…
The truly frustrating thing about the Freedom of Info backlog? It could easily be slashed overnight by providing the info through well-staffed comms depts
Yes, personal info of patients/staff needs redacting, but 99% OF REQUESTS DO NOT
No one should expect FOI as the new normal
Susan Tasson went to Royal Inland Hospital with stomach pain Tuesday night.
The beloved Kamloops grandma died 6 hours later in the waiting room, her head resting on her daughter's shoulder, having never seen a doctor. 1/ @CTVVancouver#bcpoli bc.ctvnews.ca/family-traumat…
The health minister was asked to confirm this @KamThisWeek story describing only 3 nurses were on shift instead of 24. Adrian Dix didn't deny the number and insisted they've injected $1m into RIH this year to deal with ED shortages. 2/ kamloopsthisweek.com/news/patient-s…
But this comes in the bigger context of two major factors in BC: 1. COVID cases consuming the lion's share of scant hospital resources 2. A staffing shortage that I haven't seen addressed in a meaningful or constructive way 3/ bc.ctvnews.ca/walk-a-mile-in…
BC's premier has kept a low profile during Covid to "focus on experts"
HOWEVER he's had enough gaffes that keeping him out of the spotlight may serve a dual purpose👀
BUT no public appearances for 4 wks as fires grow & the 4th wave surges?
Major backlash bc.ctvnews.ca/it-doesn-t-loo…
This was the last time Horgan was seen publicly, on July 21. His office has confirmed he's on vacation but won't confirm he's in Atlantic Canada nor when he went. bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-s-wildfire…
As for gaffes, there was the millennial blame game 🤦♀️