The province’s latest round of COVID-19 modelling shows Manitoba is on a controlled path right now, but health officials say cases have the potential to skyrocket this fall without intervention.
Dr. Jazz Atwal, deputy chief public health officer, said Tuesday that with the introduction of the Delta variant of the virus — as well as the onset of flu season on the horizon — in an extreme scenario, Manitoba’s healthcare system could become overwhelmed by mid-October.
Atwal said case numbers can remain manageable, as long as Manitobans continue to follow the fundamentals, get vaccinated, and follow public health orders, which have the potential to get more restrictive, should Manitoba’s situation change,
The majority of new cases, he said, are now occurring in people who haven’t been vaccinated, and at present, not enough Manitobans have been immunized for effective containment of a fourth wave — despite positive steps in that direction.
“It’s vital for the future safety of Manitobans that everyone get vaccinated as soon as possible,” he said. “The Delta variant is changing the game, so please roll up your sleeves.”
Although Atwal said there’s no fixed number of vaccinated people the province needs to reach, the more shots are administered, the safer we’ll all be.
“The higher the number is, the greater impact that’ll have on mitigating a severe or extreme outcome.
“This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. There are those who don’t believe in COVID — despite the fact we sent dozens of people out of province just for ICU care. COVID-19 is real. COVID-19 will impact you if you get it,” he said.
“If cases increase… we’re going to have to enact greater restrictions on all Manitobans. (It will) impact your ability to do different things… it’s going to impact your ability to interact, and that is one of the ways we’re going to have to use to help control and mitigate the communicability associated with COVID-19 and the impact on the acute care system.”
Atwal didn’t elaborate on which path the province is likely to follow, and said it’s impossible to tell when exactly a fourth wave will arrive in Manitoba.
Earlier on Tuesday, Premier Brian Pallister and Manitoba’s top doc Brent Roussin announced changes to the province’s COVID-19 rules — saying masks will once again be mandatory in all indoor settings and government employees working with vulnerable people must be fully-vaccinated — or face regular testing.
“Vaccines are our protection against the fourth wave, vaccines are our protection against future lockdowns, vaccines are how we get our lives back,” Pallister said.
“Vaccines are our safest and only way out of this pandemic.”