Thread by @brish_ti

#NEW: Independent review of BC's COVID-19 response highlights several points that need improvement including pandemic planning, health data collection, and very clearly, transparency and an explanation for public health decisions.

#COVID19BC @CapitalDailyVic

@CapitalDailyVic I'm still going through the 150-page report, and will tweet updates from the press conference with Mike Farnworth in this thread.

Full report: www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/pub…

#bcpoli

Interesting point: Up top, the report says BC's response to the pandemic was "strong, showing resilience, balance, and nimbleness."

On page 50: "In our survey, less than 20 percent
agreed government had done a good job."

The report is informed by 15,000 survey responses.

(Shoutout to @jwsthomson for helping parse this report)

Nearly 60% of survey respondents found the province's COVID-19 info to be unclear. 74% said they didn't trust the info citing things like changing story on mask effect and failure to admit COVID is airborne. #bcpoli

In their summary, the report says BC's pandemic response "should give British Columbians confidence in its ability to respond to future province-wide emergencies."

But page 48: 74% of survey respondents disagreed with the idea that pandemic was managed well.

First question is why there are no recommendations in report.

From report: "We were asked not to make specific recommendations...Each finding is accompanied by a conclusion that suggests where government effort is
needed, without being prescriptive."

Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General @mikefarnworthbc: "By and large, our communication was effective in the province....I think the approach that we took was the right one but obviously we learned lessons from that & welcome the feedback in the report."

#bcpoli

Q. What does it tell you that the majority of people think that govt did a poor job?

Farnworth says the survey was not representative of the population, not statistically sound.

From govt's own site, 15,000 people responded & survey was in 13 languages. engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/…

.@VaughnPalmer asks why BC shared a 150 page report on Friday afternoon and held a presser less than an hour later?

Farnworth: "The day was booked some time ago." (but nobody told us!!!)

I asked what province will do to rebuild trust after survey responses citing lack of transparency:

"We use the best public health advice available...trust was very high but we also know there was considerably controversy particularly in many other jurisdictions."

How is this survey not representative of the population?

"The province did not conduct this survey."

That concludes this absolute joke of a press conference.

#bcpoli

Thanks for following this mess, everyone.

Here's my @CapitalDailyVic article that puts it all together in one place, and adds a little more context:

#bcpoli

capitaldaily.ca/news/most-bc-r…