Manitoba self-isolation orders could change as coronavirus cases rise in Western Canada: Roussin

Manitoba’s top doctor says Manitobans looking to head out west should keep a close eye on self-isolation requirements.

As Saskatchewan and Alberta see a surge in COVID-19 cases, Manitoba’s chief public officer of health says the province may reinstate a 14-day isolation order for those coming to Manitoba from western provinces.

“We don’t have any imminent plans to put that back in place right now … (but) they’re always on the table,” Dr. Brent Roussin said at a Monday press conference.

“I would say to Manitobans and people who are thinking about travelling to Manitoba to be cautious with your plans, because we’re going to do what we need to to protect the health of Manitobans.

“And so that may result in re implementation of those restrictions.”

Health officials in Saskatchewan identified 31 new cases Monday, bringing the province’s number of known active cases to 307, a new all-time high.

Last week, Alberta reached a pandemic milestone, surpassing 10,000 total cases of COVID-19 as the province recorded 111 new cases in just 24 hours between Thursday and Friday.

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As of Friday, there were 1,341 active cases of the coronavirus in Alberta.

By comparison, Manitoba has seen 400 cases since March, with six new cases identified Monday.

But 12 of Manitoba’s 16 new cases reported since Friday are either travel-related or close contacts of travel cases, health officials said Monday.

Manitoba lifted a 14-day isolation requirement for those travelling between Manitoba and western provinces back in June. Plans to lift the 14-day self-isolation order for travellers arriving from Eastern Canada were scuttled last week, though when Manitobans expressed concerns over the idea.

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Health Minister Cameron Friesen says officials are keeping a close eye on conditions in Western Canada.

“If we see a significant deterioration happening in western Canada, we’ve never said that we wouldn’t, you know, reinstate those 14-day isolation requirements at this point in time,” he said Monday

Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Airport Authority said Monday that all passengers, visitors and employees at the airport must wear a mask when they enter the terminal starting Wednesday.

As jurisdictions across Canada move to make mask wearing mandatory, Roussin said Monday he doesn’t anticipate mandating mask use, but added that may change in the fall.

“I think that, again, as we move closer to respiratory virus season masks are probably going to become more and more a part of our dialogue,” he said.

“As of right now, we we don’t have any imminent plans to to mandate. But just like any of our public health work, we’ll do whatever we need to to protect the health of Manitobans.”

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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. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.

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