News briefs for April 13, 2020

An online high school used to teach summer courses in Manitoba is being added to the list of resources for educators across the province to provide instruction from afar. 

Grade 11 and 12 courses are provided on a platform called Brightspace, through InformNet, which is operated by Pembina Trails and St. James-Assiniboia school divisions. The courses are now available to all high school teachers free of charge. 

“The best way to learn is face to face, but if you have to learn online, Brightspace is great,” said InformNet principal Tom Tarrant, (Brightspace by Desire 2 Learn (D2L) Corp. is a popular educational platform used by universities across the country.) 

There are 17 courses available at present. Teachers will be able to use the content and connect with InformNet teachers for support, as well as staff in the department of education for professional development. These classes are in addition to the province’s 44 other web-based courses on the same Brightspace platform that teachers and students can access.

The province’s chief provincial public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, is extending his COVID-19 public health orders for two additional weeks.

The orders — which include limiting public gatherings to no more than 10 people and restricting various commercial operations — had been set to expire tomorrow. They will now extend until April 28.

Roussin today announced four new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the number of positive and probable cases in Manitoba to 246. 

Eight individuals are currently in hospital with COVID-19, with four in intensive care. Ninety-nine persons have recovered. There are now 143 active cases. 

The suspect was arrested after fleeing at high speed and crashing at River Avenue and Mayfair Street. Police arrested her after a short foot chase.

The driver was not injured.

Jennifer Ashley Clarke, 31, has been charged with several offences including robbery, wearing a disguise, and driving while suspended.

The Manitoba government has recruited 24-7 Intouch, to help businesses, not-for-profits and charities facing economic challenges due to COVID-19 connect with federal support programs.

Premier Brian Pallister announced today that the Manitoba call centre has been awarded a contract to help organizations navigate and leverage the resources available to them so they can be in a better position to rebound from the economic challenges brought on by COVID-19.

Pallister estimated more than 65,000 Manitoba businesses are eligible for federal support programs, such as the 75 per cent wage subsidy and Canada Emergency Business Account, which offers interest-free loans up to $40,000. 

The centre will offer a two-stream process to identify and reach out to identified and prioritized businesses and stakeholders that have been impacted by COVID-19 to offer help and answer incoming calls and questions. In order to protect the privacy and security of those using this service, outbound calls will not ask for confidential information as their purpose is to advise of the services available and encourage the use of the inbound line.

Winnipeg firefighters and paramedics are now wearing reusable respirator masks to every medical call, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, according to a city press release.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) crews will no longer rely on disposable N95 masks and instead wear MSA Advantage masks, which are commonly used at the scenes of fires and hazardous material incidents.

MSA Advantage masks use reusable filter cartridges that can be cleaned and don’t need to be replaced after every call.

The change is expected to offer “superior protection” for staff and help free up increasingly scarce N95 masks for other frontline health workers, the city says.

A tractor-trailer carrying a load of frozen food caught fire in the westbound lane of Highway 1 early Monday morning, RCMP have confirmed.

Eyewitnesses told CBC News traffic was backed up between Elkhorn and Virden Monday morning as emergency crews attended the scene.

The fire was called in around 4:45 a.m., RCMP said, and the highway has since been cleared by emergency services.

No injuries were reported and the driver was able to disconnect his truck from the trailer after noticing the fire, RCMP said.