News briefs for October 16, 2020

St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg is dealing with an outbreak after two patients tested positive for COVID-19.

A letter sent to staff on Friday, says a “cluster” of cases connected to the E6 unit was identified, and had prompted all contacts to be tested, the CBC reported after obtaining the letter.

The potential exposures were between Oct. 5 and Oct. 16.

The E6 unit is closed to admissions and visitation is restricted, although the hospital remains open.

The Manitoba government has brought the Canadian Red Cross on board to bolster the public health system’s contact tracing capabilities. 

According to the province, contact tracing is being done by regional public health staff and the Public Health COVID-19 Contact Centre. The Canadian Red Cross will support case investigation, contact tracing and daily follow up with confirmed cases and contacts during self-isolation. 

The province said Statistics Canada will also provide contact tracing services to Manitoba through an agreement with the federal government. 

This additional contact tracing capacity from the Canadian Red Cross will be available following an initial set-up and planning period. 

A new drive-up site for COVID-19 testing opens Saturday at the Keystone Centre, 1175-18th St. in Brandon, Man. Hours are from  9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and weekends, and from noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The province has promised funding to the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium and Fish Futures Inc.

At an announcement in Gimli, Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen said the consortium, a charitable organization, would receive $375,000 to upgrade its research vessel, the M.V. Namao, which monitors conditions on the lake. It needs money to pay for repairs and overhaul its two main engines and generator.

Fish Futures, a federally registered chairty dedicated to conserving freshwater fisheries, will receive $175,000 to help establish a whitefish research fund. The program will monitor whitefish stocks in the lake’s north basin.

The Manitoba government is ending the freeze on fees paid by cottage owners in provincial parks.

On Friday, the province announced cottage lease and service fees will increase by two per cent per year over the next three years until a new fee structure is implemented. The lifting of the freeze will add about $25 to the average cottage owner’s annual bill, beginning next year.

The government also said it will spend $16.6 million on a variety of projects in several provincial parks, including $3.1 million on road improvements at Falcon Lake, and water treatment plant improvements at Big Whiteshell, Birds Hill, Hecla-Grindstone and Paint Lake.Money has also been spent to improve play structures in various parks.

The province has earmarked $100,000 to expand the number of beaches that have mobility mats, which allow people in wheelchairs access to the water. The mats will be in use next summer at Falcon Lake, Grand Beach, Clearwater Lake, Winnipeg Beach and Spruce Woods.

RCMP in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., have arrested and charged a man  in connection with an alleged sexual assault.
 
It’s believed the accused used Snapchat and Instagram under usernames "Shakenbake_2," "Shakenbake_3" or any other derivative to communicate with a 14-year-old female in January. The accused allegedly asked the victim for nude photographs and sent nude photographs and videos back of himself.
 
The accused made arrangements with the girl to meet in person, where he sexually assaulted her.
 
Kenneth Bardilas, 27, has been charged with sexual assault, sexual interference, three counts of child luring, accessing child pornography and possession of child pornography.

RCMP believe there could be additional victims in other provinces, including Manitoba, and they’re asking anyone who had contact with the accused to contact them at 780-997-7900.

The City of Winnipeg is one step closer to seeking private interests for the John Blumberg Golf Course.

On Friday, council’s property and development committee voted to seek someone to either buy the property or enter a joint venture with the city for it.

The report proposes the city invest some revenue from the deal to help reduce Winnipeg’s infrastructure deficit, especially for recreation and public green space.

The proposal for the 4540 Portage Ave. facility would still requires full council approval, while an actual sale of the course would require support from two-thirds of council members.

The province says new pandemic response measure include closing casinos and entertainment facilities in Winnipeg.

In a press release, Manitoba Health offered details of the new restrictions that take effect Monday for a minimum of two weeks, including, lowering indoor and outdoor gathering sizes to five from 10; reducing group and table sizes in restaurants and lounges to five from 10 and formally reducing capacity to 50 per cent; reducing the number of spectators to 25 per cent of a site’s capacity for after-school activities and sporting events; reducing the capacity of museums, galleries and libraries to 50 per cent and requiring sites to collect contact information for all attendee; and requiring gyms and fitness centres to collect contact information for all attendees.

Manitoba’s top doctor ordered tough new pandemic response measures in the metro Winnipeg region for two weeks starting Monday.

Gathering sizes are reduced to five from 10, Dr. Brent Roussin said Friday. Beverage rooms, bars, nightclubs, and bingo halls will be closed and restaurants will be limited to operating at 50 per cent capacity. 

Roussin said the measures aim to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and will be reviewed in two weeks. 

A man and a woman have been arrested and face charges of robbery and assault after stealing a broom and cash from the register of a Thompson business Thursday night.

The pair — a 26-year-old male and a 28-year-old female — were allegedly both intoxicated, entered the business Oct. 15 and began harassing customers and staff before taking the broom and cash and leaving on foot.

Video surveillance shows the suspects leaving the business after the robbery and attacking each other. Police responded at approximately 9:20 p.m. and arrested the suspects ten minutes later. Their names were not released. 

Manitoba First Nations Police are searching for a missing 33-year-old woman from Canupawakpa First Nation who was last seen on Oct. 2.

Marissa Benn is described as 5-foot-7, 145 pounds with long dark brown hair and brown eyes. Police believe she may be in Sioux Valley First Nation with a man she knows.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts should call the Canupawakpa Detachment at (204) 857-2218.

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the life of its first First Nations victim in Manitoba.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs announced the death on Friday. Citing privacy concerns, the AMC would only say the victim was in their 70s.

Overall, 284 First Nations people have tested positive for the coronavirus during the pandemic, with 105 new cases in the past week.

Manitoba RCMP will hold a press conference on Monday to discuss the ongoing investigation into the slaying of Bobbie Lynn Moose.

Moose was last seen by her family on Oct. 1, 2019 in Thompson. She was found dead on Oct. 17.

Cpl. Morgan Page of the RCMP’s major crimes services will address the media at 10 a.m. at the RCMP headquarters in Winnipeg and make a renewed plea to the public for tips in relation to the homicide.

Public health officials say as cases increase in Manitoba, more exposures are occurring. 

On Friday, exposures were reported at multiple schools, including:

• Gilbert Plains Elementary School,
• Clearsprings Middle School,
• Aborgate School,
• St. Mary’s Academy,
• The King School,
• Ecole Leila North School,
• Al Hijra school,
• St. Norbert Collegiate.  

Exposures have also occurred at Sunny Mountain Daycare and aboard Seven Oaks School Division buses 16 and 20.

A complete list of possible exposures can be found at this link. 

Manitoba reported 75 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. 

According to the province’s pandemic response system dashboard, 2,174 tests were performed on Thursday and provincewide the five-day test-positivity rate is 5.2 per cent. 

Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin will provide an update on the COVID-19 situation at 2 p.m. today. He’s expected to detail new restrictions coming for the Winnipeg metropolitan region, likely to come into effect early next week. 

On Friday, 25 people were in hospital, including five in intensive care. The active caseload was 1,582, though public health officials have noted a delay in reporting out recoveries. 

The number of deaths due to COVID-19 remained at 38. 

Cases were reported in the following regions: Interlake-Eastern (7), Northern (2), Prairie Mountain (1), Southern Health-Sante Sud (2), and Winnipeg (63).

St-Pierre-Jolys RCMP are investigating after a man was attacked with a weapon at a residence in St. Adolphe.

After opening the door to the residence on Oct. 15 at approximately 11:50 p.m., the victim, a 32-year-old man, was assaulted. It is believed the suspect left in a vehicle.

The victim was sent to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. It is not yet known whether the victim and suspect knew each other.

The investigation is ongoing.

The City of Winnipeg could do away with library fines, if a new motion from the head of council’s protection and community services committee is approved.

Coun. Sherri Rollins’ motion argues the fines can be a barrier to library access that has a “disproportionate effect on youth and low-income households.”

Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) calls for Winnipeg libraries to waive overdue fines for outstanding materials to Dec. 31, 2020 and consider permanently eliminating late fines in the 2021 budget process.

The motion would require full council approval.

The Manitoba government will provide a COVID-19 pandemic update at 2:00 p.m. Friday.

The update will be given by Manitoba’s chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, and Health Minister Cameron Friesen.

In recent days, Roussin has hinted tighter pandemic restrictions are coming down the pike for Winnipeg owing to rising case numbers. 

The fall commercial fishing season on Lake Winnipeg has been extended until Nov. 6.

The Manitoba government announced the move Friday, citing the fact the commercial harvest this year is 60 per cent lower than usual.

The drop in harvest is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Winnipeg Police Service announced a road closure on Arlington Street Friday morning.

The temporary closure is due to a water main break and shut down traffic between Ellice and Sargent avenues. According to the WPS, southbound Arlington has reopened, but the northbound lane remains closed between Ellice and Sargent.

City of Winnipeg crews are currently working on repairing it.