Shandro is supposed to be at today’s covid update. He’s not usually as late as Kenney.

Shandro’s lecture today is on virus variants. He says the things that we have been doing to prevent the spread of the OG covid should and will prevent the spread of the new ones.

We’ve got cases of UK and South African variant. One case of UK variant can’t be linked to travel which is very concerning because that means it originated in the community. So it’s out there. This could spread rapidly and sky rocket like they did in Europe.

In the UK and Ireland it has led to more cases, more hospitalizations and therefore more deaths. The UK variant is in an Ontario LTC and infected 200+ in the last few weeks. Shandro says he’s presenting ‘facts, not fear’. In Alberta if the variants become the dominant strain,

With no health measures, we could have 10x the number of new cases diagnosed every day, and even worse after a month. The new variants don’t appear to be more deadly, but more infections means more hospitalization.

The exponential growth would push our healthcare system to the brink, Shandro says. That’s if we have ‘NO’ health measures in Alberta. We are taking steps to contain the new spread. They are increasing genetic testing to identify the variants and increasing rapid testing capacity

They are also changing the testing for people coming into Alberta from other countries (Border Pilot Project). Longer isolation and all will be tested for variants.

They are being cautious about lifting the health measures in place because of the new variants. They present ‘a serious threat’ and a complicated factor when it comes to relaxing restrictions, Shandro says.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines do seem to protect against the variants. And....here is the part where they blame the federal government. We need doses!

Canada is ‘being hit harder than others with reduced vaccine shipments.’ Other countries will have a minimal impact, but not Canada. Shandro compares us to a bunch of other countries. Can’t help but wonder if Pfizer is put off by a bunch of premiers and CPC harassing them?

Dr. Hinshaw is in a different place than Shandro. She is repeating what Shandro just said. Why do they do this? Can’t they compare notes?

362 new cases on 7200 tests=5% + rate
They are adding ‘historical cases’ to the website today as well.

11% of schools in the province have alerts or outbreaks. 51 schools have had in school transmission.

That’s in the last two weeks. The outbreak map was ‘wiped clean for a fresh start’ in January.

A reporter is asking for more details about the schools that have closed due to number of cases. She says they have ‘operationally’ needed to shift to remote learning temporarily. She insists that the measures in place ‘do mitigate spread’.

She’s blaming it on the kids hanging out outside of class or on breaks and taking their masks off.

Julia Wong is asking about who will be in Phase 2 of the vaccination. What is the ‘ethical framework’ they will use to determine priority. Dr. Hinshaw’s non-answer answer is that it’s about who is at highest risk and who is most vulnerable. Who could expose those people.

It’s not an answer. Who will get the vaccines? WHO? Shandro takes the opportunity to chime in and blame the federal government again. Canada should get the same priority that other countries are getting, Shandro says.

I’m being kind of hit and miss here. Sorry. There was a question about whether the newest vaccine is effective. (Oxford AstraZeneca). Another question on how the government is deciding who stays open and who closes. Who is considered ‘essential’ and what are the criteria?

Shandro says ‘our hearts go out’ to affected businesses. No money or support or anything, but their hearts. Their decisions are ‘risk-based’, not essential vs. non-essential.

A question about sector-specific data and why it hasn’t been released? Also is it affected by sectors that have transient workers like oil and agriculture? Dr. Hinshaw is not answering why they don’t have sector-specific data to release. She has been asked for this MANY times.