Stefanson, Kinew vow not to impose COVID lockdowns again, Lamont leaves door open

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This article was published 20/09/2023 (760 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The leaders of two of Manitoba’s major political parties promised the province will not use lockdowns to quell the spread of the COVID-19 virus, regardless of emerging health situations.

“We’ve heard loud and clear from Manitobans that we can’t go back to those lockdowns where people are in their homes, where businesses are locked down,” Premier Heather Stefanson said Wednesday, speaking to reporters after a leaders’ debate in which she pledged the Progressive Conservatives will never again shutter businesses due to COVID-19.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew agreed.

“Manitobans are ready to turn the page on the pandemic,” he said. “The idea of bringing our economy to a halt again is not something we can contemplate in Manitoba.”

The Opposition leader said his party would expand capacity in the provincial health-care system if victorious in the upcoming provincial election, allowing hospitals to handle an influx of patients should another wave of COVID-19 infections arise.

He pointed out that Stefanson was Manitoba’s health minister during a portion of the pandemic.

“We made decisions based on the best information we had at the time,” Stefanson said, when asked by reporters whether the decision to introduce lockdowns was a mistake. “The unintended consequences of locking people in their homes and shutting down businesses is devastating, and we’ve learned from that.”

Dougald Lamont, leader of the Manitoba Liberals, criticized the Tory’s hardline stance on the public health measure.

“It’s a horrifying continuation of everything they did during the pandemic.” he said.

Lamont did not close the door on potential lockdowns as a public-safety measure, but said it would be possible to take other steps first, including asking the public to wear masks.

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He also suggested introducing air-filtration units to protect schoolchildren.

Stefanson identified masks and vaccinations as tools to reduce the spread of the virus and said the province is working on a pilot program involving air filtration in schools.

Provincial officials are also preparing for a fall vaccination program, she said.

Kinew urged all Manitobans to get vaccinated.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca

Tyler Searle
Reporter

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.

Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.