1) A Westmount seniors’ residence has been hit with a #COVID19 outbreak infecting at least 10 people, according to the latest update by the Quebec government Tuesday. In this thread, I will examine the continuing discrepancies in the reporting of data during the #pandemic.

2) On Monday, authorities released regional and neighborhood #COVID19 data after suspending publication of the updates for two weeks pending a computer upgrade. On Tuesday, however, Montreal’s public health department did not release a neighborhood update.

3) The health authority in the Laurentians seems to be in worse shape, issuing a statement on its website that “we are currently experiencing a data entry problem with the provincial software.” This is inexcusable in the #pandemic, after a two-week delay.

4) Shortly after being appointed Health Minister, Christian Dubé ( @cdube_sante) promised to release #COVID19 statistics to the public in a timely manner. Then authorities proceeded belatedly with a computer upgrade that caused massive problems with the data.

5) This does not instill confidence in the government after Premier @francoislegault suspended publication of data on nursing home #COVID19 cases and deaths for two weeks during the peak of the #pandemic's first wave. That data was withheld again for two weeks until Monday.

6) And that data is still confusing. On Monday, Quebec released the chart below which does not allude to a #COVID19 outbreak at the Place Kensingdon. Please notice the chart’s date and the column noting cases reported in the previous 24 hours.

7) Contrast Monday’s chart with Tuesday’s. Place Kensington appears suddenly high up. But notice the column reporting cases in the previous 24 hours. There are none for Kensington. This doesn't make any sense because the residence didn't appear at all in the previous day’s chart.

8) The discrepancies don’t end there. The Institut national de santé publique finally resumed its regional breakdowns. For Montreal, the chart below notes that the health district of Saint-Léonard-Saint-Michel reported nine new #COVID19 cases, the highest. What about Westmount?

9) These discrepancies are not minor gaffes. The public is entitled to detailed, accurate and timely #COVID19 figures to help people make prudent decisions during the #pandemic, and especially with the return to school less than three weeks away.

10) On Tuesday, Quebec posted 91 new #COVID cases, the fourth day in a row of declining numbers. However, this is after Quebec recorded a low of 49 cases on June 23. Two days later, Quebec reopened bars, causing a resurgence that is only now tapering off.

11) By comparison, neighboring Ontario was posting more than triple the number of cases as Quebec on June 23. But by maintaining the restrictions that Quebec decided to lift, Ontario slashed its #COVID19 numbers. On Tuesday, the more populous province declared just 33 cases.

12) Had Quebec maintained its restrictions, it should have been able to cut its number of cases to well below 33 by Tuesday, especially given Ontario’s population is nearly 72% greater. How would Quebec parents have reacted to #COVID numbers below 20 a day before schools reopen?

13) Instead, Quebec is stubbornly adhering to its misguided decision to allow public gatherings of 250 people despite warnings by medical doctors and Ontario’s 100-person limit. Meanwhile, Montreal reported #32 cases Tuesday, one below all of Ontario.

14) At this point in my Twitter thread, I usually post a chart on Montreal’s #COVID death toll (3,450). But these stats are sometimes unreliable. Two deaths were added Sunday, then subtracted Monday. Instead, I'll show the city’s latest ER overcrowding numbers. End of thread.