COVID-19 >>"True and Helpful" Covid Information Thread

[Cindy]

We must lock down the economy for month and save lives.

[cc]

[There were some clues the past week or so that things were not well at the top ]



https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-covid-19-response-tension-recordings-1.5814877?cmp=newsletter_Coronavirus%20Brief_2652_220447">Recordings provide rare glimpse into relationship between civil servants, political officials



A few minutes into the meeting in a boardroom in downtown Edmonton, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw weighed in.



The cabinet committee, to which she and the group reported, was pressuring her to broadly expand serology testing, which is used to detect the presence of COVID-19 antibodies in the blood.



The problem was that the tests had limited large-scale clinical value and Hinshaw believed it would overestimate the virus's presence in the population.



"Honestly, after the battle that we had about molecular testing, I don't have a lot of fight left in me," Hinshaw said during that meeting. The province had introduced rapid molecular testing kits at the start of the pandemic to help testing in rural and remote communities. The recordings reveal some tensions about that decision.



"I think we need to draw on our experience from the molecular testing battle that we ultimately lost, after a bloody and excruciating campaign, and think about, how do we limit the worst possible implications of this without wearing ourselves down?," Hinshaw said.



The level of political direction — and, at times, interference — in Alberta's pandemic response is revealed in 20 audio recordings of the daily planning meetings of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) obtained by CBC News, as well as in meeting minutes and interviews with staff directly involved in pandemic planning.



Taken together, they reveal how Premier Jason Kenney, Shandro and other cabinet ministers often micromanaged the actions of already overwhelmed civil servants; sometimes overruled their expert advice; and pushed an early relaunch strategy that seemed more focused on the economy and avoiding the appearance of curtailing Albertans' freedoms than enforcing compliance to safeguard public health.



"What is there suggests to me that the pandemic response is in tatters," said Ubaka Ogbogu, an associate law professor at the University of Alberta who specializes in public health law and policy.

[Anonymous]

The opposition NDP and the civil service have taken a page from the anti Trumpers in the USA..

[cc]

With help of media I take it?



I knew Hinshaw has said they found testing to be a waste of time and energy that should be used elsewhere (and even misleading) ... What is your take on that?

[Anonymous]

With help of media I take it?

Absolutely cc..



There are many doctors in Alberta that have said another full general lock down is bad for public health..



But, when I watch Global Calgary, they only quote pro general lock down doctors and they sometimes appear with Rachel Notley or her health critic, David Shepperd..



It's become a partisan issue in Alberta, with the media, the civil service, blaming the premier for not acting on another lock down that nobody wanted one month ago..



But, nobody blames Justin Trudeau or Theresa Tam.

 

[Anonymous]

Pure partisan politics.

https://twitter.com/CMOH_Alberta/status/1332043809383796736">https://twitter.com/CMOH_Alberta/status ... 9383796736">https://twitter.com/CMOH_Alberta/status/1332043809383796736

[cc]

Good for her. She's a fighter



We are more fortunate with what appears to be total cooperation and support by all relevant parties



Canadian news is no less biased than in the US  ... and in the same direction

[Anonymous]

Good for her. She's a fighter



We are more fortunate with what appears to be total cooperation and support by all relevant parties

It's only here in Alberta that the opposition is milking the pandemic for political purposes. Nothead, is a an opportunistic,  vicious and a congenital liar. Nothead and Kenney had an exchange in the legislature yesterday where she said Alberta with a smaller population has more cases than BC. Kenney responded that's because Alberta is testing far more people than BC. Nothead shot back, "we're testing too many people, thank you very much Donald Trump."  CBC, Global, CTV and the Edmonton Journal reported that Kenney says we are testing too many people. :001_rolleyes:



The reason that our response to the coronavirus has been unpopular compared to Ontario or Quebec is that neither of those provinces has an opposition leader as dishonest, selfish, and cunning as Nothead. Take a look at this article.



https://edmontonjournal.com/news/national/reopening-canada/david-staples-albertas-solid-covid-19-response-is-remarkably-unpopular-why">https://edmontonjournal.com/news/nation ... opular-why">https://edmontonjournal.com/news/national/reopening-canada/david-staples-albertas-solid-covid-19-response-is-remarkably-unpopular-why

[cc]

Apart from the overall approach, I noticed "Right now there are just 41 people out of 4.43 million Albertans hospitalized with COVID-19 and just eight people in ICU"



That is untrue by many miles (OK, OK, Kilometers)



I have not seen today's report  but yesterday according to Hinshaw's report there are "355" people hospitalized with COVID-19 and "72" people in ICU" .. which is consistent relative to  cases for weeks



https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/this-is-a-tragic-milestone-alberta-reaches-500-covid-19-deaths-counts-1-265-new-cases-1.5204217">https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/this-is-a-t ... -1.5204217">https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/this-is-a-tragic-milestone-alberta-reaches-500-covid-19-deaths-counts-1-265-new-cases-1.5204217

[Anonymous]

Apart from the overall approach, I noticed "Right now there are just 41 people out of 4.43 million Albertans hospitalized with COVID-19 and just eight people in ICU"



That is untrue by many miles (OK, OK, Kilometers)



I have not seen today's report  but yesterday according to Hinshaw's report there are "355" people hospitalized with COVID-19 and "72" people in ICU"

That's where we were in early September when the article was written. The point of it, was Alberta's response has been as good or better than other provinces. However, the opposition here in conjunction with the libtard media is milking the pandemic for political gain. Ontario and Quebec don't have a pitbull opposition leader like Nothead, so their premiers aren't being blamed falsely.

[cc]

I agree Alberta, while high in cases, has been the best anywhere I keep track of in the world for fewest deaths per covid case



It had been from the very start and continues to be today



We are finally getting close to catching you in that area but were a lot worse until recently



You guys are getting the same bullshit against your govt that Trump got .. then progs and the media are all on the same page in every western country

[Anonymous]

I was apolitical until Rachel Notley became our premier..



I agree with Shen, Rachel is extremely opportunistic and always copies what similar politicians in the USA do..



There was no stomach in Alberta for a general lock down one month ago, but that is when she says it should have happened, but she said nothing about a general lock down one month ago..



I'm pleased with the response from the provincial government, even though my son will be home after tomorrow until the second week of January.

[Anonymous]

I was apolitical until Rachel Notley became our premier..



I agree with Shen, Rachel is extremely opportunistic and always copies what similar politicians in the USA do..



There was no stomach in Alberta for a general lock down one month ago, but that is when she says it should have happened, but she said nothing about a general lock down at that time..



I'm pleased with the response from the provincial government, even though my son will be home after tomorrow until the second week of January.

[Anonymous]

There were 1,077 new infections and ten deaths today in Alberta..



Dr Hinshaw says it will be a few days or more yet before we know if the new restrictions are working.

[Anonymous]

Even after being under a code red for two weeks, we are still getting 350-400 cases each day.