BREAKING: Parents will not be notified of Covid outbreak at their child's school until there is 30% absenteeism rate among staff and students. Focus is to keep schools open by replacing sick teachers w retired and student teachers #onpoli Each student and teacher will get two rapid tests to be used if symptomatic. More rapid tests hopefully to come. School based vaccine clinics will begin with emphasis on age 5-11. Only 47% have first dose #onpoli

Health Minister Christine Elliott begins news conference. She says 2,500 ICU beds are available and can add another 500. (however staffing them is proving to be a massive problem as frontline workers get sick) #onpoli Minister Elliott says the province will use internationally educated nurses in hospitals and LTC homes to help with staffing shortage.

I'm in the hospital today for my regular cancer checkup and blood work (I'm here at least twice a month).
It is busier than I have ever seen it before. So many cancer patients, not enough staff, the ones who are here are exhausted yet somehow still smile at you with their eyes The lineup for bloodwork snaked around the first floor, many patients who can barely walk had to somehow muster up the strength to stand and slowly make their way through it. There aren't enough chairs for them.

BREAKING: Ontario begins new restrictions Wed for min 3 wks
Schools CLOSED to in class learning till at least Jan 17th
Non emergent surgeries paused
Gathering indoors capped at 5 outdoors 10
Employees work remotely unless necessary
Indoor dining/bars closed
Stores malls cap @50% Premier Ford now speaking, says the province faces a "tsunami" of Omicron and is now bracing for impact.
He says data shows about 1% of people who get it face hospitalization and hundreds of thousands of new cases are expected

Some personal news:
The scariest words ever said to me were "You have cancer". Now 11 years later I have heard words that are even more frightening. "Your cancer is back. Stage 4." I found out two days before Christmas and I admit it has taken time to process. It's easier because I have done this before. It's harder because I have done this before. But I have hope. (We are nothing without hope).

#BREAKING: modelling from Health Science Table finds control of pandemic improving. Encourages outdoor activities and maintaining some public health measures till mid June. As for re-opening schools, it says it will create an increase in cases "but this may be manageable"#onpoli "our picture today looks different, the direction of the pandemic has turned." Dr. Steini Brown begins the Science Table Briefing. #onpoli

NEW: People are now dying of #covid19 at home. This hasn't been seen before according to Ontario's coroner Dr Huyer at today's medical briefing. They are staying at home sick and getting more seriously ill faster until it's too late #onpoli "Many of these people were found deceased." Dr. Huyer says. He adds the people who have died at home didn't need to go to hospital based on symptoms, they were stable but deteriorated very quickly. #covid19

Premier Ford. "We got it wrong, we made a mistake...I'm sorry and I sincerely apologize." #onpoli Premier Ford officially says they are working on a paid sick day program. (which they have resisted for a year)
#onpoli

"we were advised we needed to limit mobility...that's why the rules were made." Health Minister Christine Elliott tries to offer justification for controversial announcement re playgrounds and police it made Friday that it had to walk back less than 24 hours later. "we recognize that was not the way it was interpreted by the public," says the Health Minister

The Long Term Care Commission has just released the transcript of it's interview with Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams. It took place on Feb 22nd from 10 AM to 2:30 PM. 232 pages. Speed reading. Here it is for anyone who wants to read it.
ltccommission-commissionsld.ca/transcripts/pd…

NEW: Retired General Rick Hillier begins vaccine update, says vaccinating 16-18K a day, hopes to have all long term care residents finished with second dose next week. In phase two, which begins 1st week of March, pharmacies will begin distributing vaccines.

This right here is the chart the government will use to prove its case for lockdowns. It indicates lockdowns worked in France and Australia #covid19 This graph makes the argument that the sooner lockdowns are put in place the lower the future #covid19 case counts will be

Exclusive: 96% of residents at Sunnycrest long term care in Whitby have tested positive.19 have died. 67 staff are positive. An inspection done less than 2 wks ago found "widespread failures" caused "actual harm to residents." No one was screened upon entry, PPE improperly used Staffing was down to less than 50%, food & high risk medications were given up to 2 hours late. Wounds were not treated properly.This was happening as the outbreak started - just a couple of weeks ago. The daughter of a resident said to me "nothing was learned from the 1st wave"

Premier Doug Ford says he is glad to hear Federal announcement vaccines are coming to Canada as early as next week and will be distributed per capita, notes we are very far from the millions needed to vaccinate people en masse. #covid19 General Rick Hillier is outlining how vaccines will be distributed. Phase 1 will get 2.4 million vaccines through the 1st quarter (equals 1.2 million people bc need 2 doses)
#covi19

BREAKING: the controversial bill that grants Premier Doug Ford's friend and supporter Charles McVety's Canada Christian College university status has passed. Prior story on the Ford government introducing a bill that grants Charles McVety's Canada Christian College University status. It raises memories of the Ford government's early patronage scandals that had them plummeting in the polls pre-pandemic
toronto.citynews.ca/video/2020/10/…

BREAKING: Provincial modelling shows Ontario will hit 2500 #covid19 cases a day at 3% growth and roughly 6500 a day at 5% growth by mid December. New modelling projects #covid19 ICU capacity will break 150 bed threshold in best and worst case scenario within 2 weeks - that means surgeries will have to be cancelled #covid19

Premier Doug Ford begins his news conference. This one promises to be interesting. #covid19 "it's concerning, it's alarming." Premier notes #covid19 numbers are going in the wrong direction. He says virus spreads when people don't follow public health advice.

Disturbing transcripts of Cdn Air Force testimony before Long Term Care Commission have been released. They realized immediately homes were in “crisis.” They found “a clear rapid decline in staffing” with approx just 20% of original staff. Temp staff were hired but untrained. Lack of communication is discussed in the LTC homes and the CAF found there was no oversight to ensure “people weren’t conducting themselves in an unethical manner.” No one was being held to account.

Premier Ford says Ontario's #covid19 numbers are going in the wrong direction, says the situation is changing rapidly and steps need to be taken to keep people safe. (the province's positivity rate has more than doubled in the last month) Premier has definitely changed his messaging since last week when he introduced the new colour coded framework - today he is emphasizing it is just a "baseline" and regional medical officers of health can add further restrictions #covid19

Breaking: Peel Region is moving into the "red zone." it means indoor dining and gyms can resume tomorrow under strict guidelines. #covid19 There has been a lot of criticism threshold for red zone is too high - 100 cases per100k. 10% positivity.
Brampton has 170 per 100k and 11% positivity - so even though its markers are higher it is still going into red zone where indoor dining can resume and gyms open #covid19

NEW: Premier Doug Ford in Huntsville today for his daily update - he's at a Shoppers Drug Mart - perhaps about to announce #covid19 testing in pharmacies Premier says testing needs to be expanded earlier and as easy as getting a flu shot. Starting Friday up to 60 pharmacies will offer #Covi19 testing (he has said in the past about 2-thousand would take part)