QUEEN’S PARK — Premier Doug Ford and Ford's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams said Wednesday that that the current crisis in ICUs was a surprise to them. That can’t possibly be true, because consistent, frightening data was being publicly released by their own Science Table since January.
On Wednesday Doug Ford claimed, “admissions to ICUs in the past week are increasing faster than the worst case scenario predicted by our experts.”
But Ontario’s Science Table has predicted higher ICU admissions consistently:
- In January, they projected variants would drive up ICU occupancy.
- In February, they said ICU admissions would be growing past 300 daily.
- In March, they said early April’s ICU beds would be well past 400.
- Last week, they predicted nearly 600 ICU admissions by this week, which is on track with the 523 patients clinging to life in Ontario’s ICUs on Thursday.
Experts have been clear. This was exactly what was predicted:
- Dr. Nathan Stall: “@fordnation's suggestion today that the @covid19mc had under-forecasted the number of #COVID19 patients in Ontario ICUs was patently false and devalues the work of incredible modellers like @BeateSander, @DrKaliBarrett, @_StephenMac and @RaphaelXimenes who produce these figures.”
- COVID-19 Modeling Collaborative: “the Premier suggested that the modelling hadn't projected these numbers of patients with COVID-19 in our ICUs. The actual number of cases in ICU is well within our projected range, and in fact, is closer to our best case scenario, rather than the worst”
“Doug Ford’s own Science Table advisors have told Ontarians all year that ICUs would be filled beyond capacity if the government refused to act – and even more so if he took away public health protections too soon,” said Horwath.
“Doug Ford re-opened too fast. He cancelled public health protections too soon. He used half-measures and mixed messaging. He ignored the projections, experts, facts and data we all had access to, and walked us right into this lockdown with eyes wide open. He needs to correct the record.”