One new case of COVID-19 in Manitoba; health care staff restricted to one nursing home

Manitoba has recorded one additional case of COVID-19, bringing the total of cases in the province to 272.

The number of deaths in Manitoba remains at six. Seven people are in hospital with two people in ICU. Recoveries now stand at 205, and 61 cases are active.

“Our numbers have been stable and reflective of the effort of Manitobans at flattening this curve,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, the province’s chief medical health officer.

Going to the doctor for vaccinations is a different strategy than Roussin advised before, saying two weeks ago that schools would likely “play catch-up” for those who didn’t get their vaccinations this year due to school closures.

However, the new advice aligns with what Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said Sunday.

Easing restrictions

As the province looks at lifting some of the public health orders, Lanette Siragusa of Shared Health said they still must protect personal care homes from COVID-19.

To that end, staff in nursing homes and support services who work at multiple sites will only be allowed to work at one, starting on Friday.

“We are aware of multiple employees who work at two or three or even more sites, what we’re looking to do is not impact them negatively,” said Siragusa.

As for when the public health restrictions will ease, Roussin said “likely this week” they will discuss Manitoba’s re-opening plan.

“We’re going to announce a detailed plan this week … again, it’s not a return to normal, there will be a number of restrictions on that.”

He said the plan will be similar to ones released by Saskatchewan, Ontario and others.

“We’re going do ours very cautiously here,” he said, adding each province will do what works for them.

“There’s going to be some similarities to other plans and its going to be unique in other ways.”

Over the weekend, there were no press conferences by officials, giving Roussin and Siragusa a break. The province did report a total of eight new COVID-19 cases, and no new deaths.

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.