Manitoba’s coronavirus state of emergency extended, no new cases Monday

The Manitoba government is extending the province-wide state of emergency for COVID-19.

The news comes as provincial health officials reported no new cases of the virus as of Monday.

In a release the province said the state of emergency, in place since March to help stop the spread of the virus, will be extended for another 30 days starting Monday at 4 p.m.

Initially declared on March 20, Manitoba’s state of emergency was first extended on April 20 and then again on May 17.

The number of cases continues to remain low in Manitoba, with Monday’s report of no new cases coming after three were reported over the weekend.

At a Monday press conference Manitoba’s chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, said a case announced Friday is a Winnipeg-area woman in her 30s, who had travelled from Ontario and self-isolated.

He says three cases reported over the weekend are Winnipeg-area men in their 20s and 30s, who were all close contacts of a previous case.

Roussin says he expects to see cases continue to crop up because the novel coronavirus is not going away any time soon.

With more people recovering, there remain five active cases in Manitoba.

The total number of lab-confirmed positive and probable positive cases in Manitoba remains at 304, so far 292 people have recovered from the virus and seven people have died.

The provincial government is planning to ease more restrictions on public gatherings and business openings later this month.

The province says 54,381 tests for the virus have been completed in Manitoba since early February, with an additional 2,125 done over the weekend.

–With files from the Canadian Press

2:47 Coronavirus outbreak: Manitoba to begin Phase 2 of reopening on June 1

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

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. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus.

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