Too soon to relax code-red restrictions, Roussin says

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This article was published 04/01/2021 (1714 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Don’t expect the province to relax code-red restrictions that were set to expire Jan. 8, Manitoba’s chief public health officer says.

“It’s premature right now to determine any changes to our restrictions,” Dr. Brent Roussin said Monday during his first media briefing of 2021. “We’re going to continue to monitor the impact of holiday gatherings this week.”

Roussin reported five COVID-19 deaths and 118 new cases in Manitoba as of Monday morning. The five-day test positivity rate is 10.7 per cent provincially and 11.8 per cent in Winnipeg, he said.

“We’re starting to see our case numbers coming down,” he said. “While our restrictions are due a full review, we need to ensure that this is not the time we relax our efforts against this virus.”

Manitoba’s test-positivity and hospitalization rates remains high, he said.

The province is still operating at 157 per cent of its pre-COVID-19 intensive-care unit capacity, Shared Health’s chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa said.

“Right now, we all need to focus on fundamentals,” Roussin said. “We’re asking people to stay home as much as possible.”

The highly contagious COVID-19 variant identified late last year in the United Kingdom has not yet been detected in Manitoba, Roussin said. He asked all international travellers returning to the province to get tests for the virus, whether or not they have symptoms. He said they’re still required to self-isolate for 14 days under the federal Quarantine Act.

The province, meanwhile extended the state of emergency under the Emergency Measures Act to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The extension took effect Monday at 4 p.m. for a period of 30 days.

“As we start the new year, we will continue to adapt to the needs of our province in response to the pandemic,” Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler, who is responsible for the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization), said in a press release.

The five COVID-19 deaths announced Monday include:

● A woman in her 30s from the Winnipeg health region.

● A woman in her 60s from the Winnipeg health region.

● A woman in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to an outbreak at River Ridge II Retirement Residence.

● A woman in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to an outbreak at Bethania Mennonite Personal Care Home; and

● A woman in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region.

The 118 new cases of the virus include seven cases in the Interlake–Eastern health region; five in the Northern health region, seven in the Prairie Mountain Health region, 19 in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region and 80 in the Winnipeg region.

The data also shows 4,423 active cases and 20,133 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. There are 245 people in hospital with active COVID-19 as well as 95 people in hospital with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 340 hospitalizations.

The total number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 688 thus far.

Laboratory testing numbers show 1,275 tests were completed Sunday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February to 427,476. Case investigations continue and if a public health risk is identified, the public will be notified.

An outbreak has been declared at the Heritage Life Personal Care Home in Niverville. The site has been moved to critical code-red on the pandemic response system.

Outbreaks have been declared over at the Beausejour Hospital and the hospital in The Pas.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca