The Pas Local News Archives for 2021-10

Town of The Pas May Bring Back Plastic Shopping Bag Ban

Due to concerns over sanitation, The Town of The Pas lifted its ban on plastic shopping bags in stores when the COVID 19 pandemic first hit and during Monday night’s council meeting mayor and council discussed the possibility of reinstating the ban.

 

Since the ban was lifted The Pas Recycling Centre announced that they found many of these plastic shopping bags in their recycling stream and they would like the ban to be put back in place and the town also discussed the possibility of allowing businesses to use bio degradable plastic bags as an alternative.

 

This issue is expected to be brought forward at the next council meeting and businesses will be notified in advance if the ban on plastic shopping bags is reinstated. 

Public Health Orders Extended to Maintain Positive Progress on Fourth Wave

Manitoba is Holding Strong, but we Must Remain Vigilant: Gordon

Current public health orders have been extended for an additional three weeks with the goal of maintaining Manitoba’s positive response to the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon and Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, announced today.

“Manitoba must stay vigilant in our fight against COVID-19 and the fourth wave,” said Gordon. “Our case numbers, hospital admissions and ICU numbers continue to fluctuate but we need to remain steadfast in our approach with the current public health orders we have in place. We know that vaccination works. Currently, the vast majority of hospitalizations and ICU admissions are people who are unvaccinated. To fully bring an end to the pandemic, we all need to do our part and get vaccinated.”

The municipalities of Cartier, Headingley, Macdonald, Ritchot (Niverville-Ritchot), St. Francois Xavier and Tache are geographically located in the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region. Considering their vaccination rates are more consistent with that of the Winnipeg capital region, as well as their proximity to and regular commuting to Winnipeg, the new public health orders will see these select municipalities treated like Winnipeg and the rest of the province. All other public health orders remain unchanged. 

The orders continue to allow fully vaccinated Manitobans to enjoy as much freedom and as few restrictions as possible, while unvaccinated individuals continue to be restricted in their activities in order to reduce transmission and the most serious outcomes. This includes:

  • limiting private indoor gatherings for households to guests from one other household when any unvaccinated person who is eligible to be vaccinated is present on the property (even if the unvaccinated person lives at that location);
  • limiting private outdoor gatherings for households to 10 guests when any unvaccinated person who is eligible to be vaccinated is present on the property (even if the unvaccinated person lives at that location);
  • reducing indoor public gathering group sizes to 25 people or 25 per cent capacity, whichever is lower, for gatherings that include unvaccinated people who are eligible to be vaccinated including weddings and funerals;
  • setting indoor group sizes for faith-based gatherings to 25 people or 33 per cent capacity, whichever is greater, for gatherings that include unvaccinated people who are eligible to be vaccinated.
  • limiting all outdoor public gathering sizes to 50 people; and
  • retail capacity remains at 50 per cent in the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region with the exception of capital region communities to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in this region.

“Treating these municipalities like Winnipeg makes sense, given their stronger vaccination rates as well as their daily commute and close proximity to the city,” said Roussin. “We need Manitobans across the province to step up and be vaccinated against COVID-19. We continue to monitor several indicators such as vaccination rates, test positivity rate, case counts and the strain on our health system to determine our next steps and make contingency plans if needed.”

The new orders will come into effect on Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 12:01 a.m. and will be in place until Nov. 16. The orders will keep the Pandemic Response System at Restricted (Orange) with schools at Caution (Yellow).

All other public health orders remain unchanged. For more information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.gov.mb.ca/covid19.

The Pas RCMP respond to fatal hit and run

At approximately 2:00 am on October 24, 2021, The Pas RCMP responded to a report of a deceased male on the shoulder of Highway 10, approximately 10 km north of The Pas.

 

The initial investigation has determined the victim, a 31-year-old adult male from The Pas, was walking on Highway 10 when he was hit by a large vehicle that did not stop at the scene.

 

Investigators believe the vehicle that hit the victim was heading south at the time of the collision.

 

Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the collision is asked to call The Pas RCMP at 204-627-6200.

 

Additionally, anyone who may have been travelling on Highway 10, near The Pas around 2:00 am, is asked to check the passenger side of their vehicle or trailer for damage. If there is any sign of damage, please call The Pas RCMP.

AMC Honours Jordan River Anderson

Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg, MB?–?The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) issues this statement today to commemorate what would have been Jordan River Anderson’s 22nd birthday. Jordan, who was born with complex medical needs and multiple disabilities, passed away in 2004 in Winnipeg rather than returning to his home First Nation of Norway House Cree Nation. Several years of jurisdictional disputes, mismanagement and bureaucratic bungling between the provincial and federal governments on who would pay for community-based supports prevented Jordan from receiving care in Norway House Cree Nation, the kind of care that is guaranteed to all other Manitobans without condition.  

 

Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said, “To ensure that these types of jurisdictional disputes and resulting denial of the right to medical care within a patient’s home community never happen to any other First Nation children, the AMC led the regional advocacy to ensure that care, funding and family supports are provided to First Nations children first before questions of provincial or federal jurisdiction and responsibility are considered. Thanks to the legacy of Jordan River Anderson, the Jordan’s Principle Child First Initiative is now a national legal rule and core component of Indigenous Services Canada, providing over one-hundred thousand First Nation and Inuit children with substantive equality for specialized services, education, and clinical supports.  

 

“Jordan’s Principle and the First Nations’ advocacy that has sustained it, has resulted in a national legal initiative guaranteeing children long-overdue supports and services regardless of their residency, and ensuring ongoing support and connection to their communities and to their First Nations,” added Grand Chief Dumas. Since 2004, the AMC is proud to have played an important historical role in the fight for justice for First Nations children with disabilities and an ongoing role in the development of what has become known as the Jordan’s Principle Child First Initiative, a national legal requirement as ordered by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, binding Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and all government agencies to make supports and services to First Nations children the priority rather than the type of jurisdictional bickering in which bureaucrats engage.” 

 

Today, would mark Jordan’s 22nd birthday. The AMC takes this time to honour Jordan and his family for the sacrifices and hardships they endured due to negligence and the violation and denial of their inherent Treaty and human rights. Though Jordan is not here with us today, his legacy lives on through Canada’s Jordan’s Principle Child First Initiative, benefitting over 165,000 First Nations and Inuit children. The legal ruling will benefit First Nations children for generations to come, and we have Jordan and his family to thank for that,” concluded Grand Chief Dumas.  

 

BACKGROUND 

 

Jordan River Anderson was born October 22, 1999 with multiple disabilities and stayed in the hospital from birth. At the age of two-years old, Jordan’s family was informed that he could move to Norway House Cree Nation to live in his Nation among friends and family, to a special home for his medical needs. However, due to jurisdictional disputes between the federal and provincial governments over who would pay for his medical care, Jordan was unable to move home. Jordan stayed in the hospital until he passed away at the age of five-years old. 

 

At the October 30-31, 2019 Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) Hearing, Canada’s witness, Dr. Valerie Gideon, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch at the Department of Indigenous Services Canada testified that over 165 000 Jordan’s Principle approved services have now been approved under Jordan’s Principle as ordered by the CHRT. 

 

Dr. Gideon also testified that Jordan’s Principle is not a program, it is considered a legal rule by Canada. As Jordan’s Principle is a legal requirement, not a program, there will be no sun-setting of Jordan’s Principle. There cannot be any break in Canada’s response to the full implementation of Jordan’s Principle. 

 

For more information on Jordan’s Principle, please visit: 

 

Amanda Lathlin Oct. 22 MLA Report

This October, the Legislative Assembly met for six days for a legislative session and I want to highlight a few of the most important things that happened and what is coming up.

The Manitoba NDP and I kept fighting for Manitobans and challenged the government and Minister of Families to extend support to foster kids aging out of care during Question Period. As the Critic for Child and Family Services, I asked the Minister if her department will acknowledge the need for ongoing supports for youth aging out of care and commit to extending the age limit to 25 permanently.

Manitoba currently has a moratorium on youth aging out of care for the pandemic that will expire next spring. But we know that the need for greater supports isn't simply a pandemic-related issue – extended supports are necessary for many youths transitioning out of the child welfare system. Normally in Manitoba, youth aging out of care are required to live on their own when they turn 18, or 21 at the latest. They are often left without any life skills and mental health and addictions supports, leaving many youths vulnerable to unemployment or homelessness. 

This would ensure that youth who have greater needs than others, for longer periods of time, are set up to succeed as they transition out of the child welfare system.  Extending the age limit to 25 would be a good step in ensuring that youth aging out of care are able to access needed supports on an ongoing and reliable basis and can be assessed on a readiness approach rather than an age-based approach, to ensure a child’s greatest success.  This would help youth to easily address and overcome the barriers they face such as finding safe and affordable housing, completing their education, managing a budget, and creating meaningful connections within their communities. The Minister needs to commit to extending supports for youth aging out of care by increasing the age limit to 25.

Due to the ongoing PC’s leadership race, it is unclear when we will be returning to the Legislature. If the new premier decides to cancel the upcoming session, we would not be able to come back until March 2022 to introduce important legislation and hold the government to account on their agenda. This would hurt our ability as elected officials to represent our constituents properly so I sincerely hope we will have the opportunity to come back in November, especially because we are still dealing with a public health emergency.

Please contact my office anytime at Amanda.lathlin@yourmanitoba.ca or 1-204-623-2034. Kinanaskomitin.

The Pas Community Renewal Corporation Community Calendar

The Pas Community Renewal Corporation announced that they will be bringing back their monthly community calendar.

 

This is a good opportunity for organizations to promote community events.

 

To submit your event for the calendar you can email tpcrc.staff@gmail.com

RCMP officer charged with breach of trust following investigation of sexual misconduct while on-duty

The Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) has conducted its investigation into an allegation of sexual misconduct by an on-duty RCMP officer occurring in the Flin Flon, Manitoba area. 

The civilian director of the IIU has determined there are reasonable grounds to believe a criminal offence occurred and has authorized a charge of breach of trust pursuant to section 122 of the Criminal Code.

The IIU first advised it had launched an investigation into this matter on July 9, 2021.

On October 7, 2021, RCMP Cst. Nicholas James BARRETT, formerly of the Creighton RCMP detachment, was released on an undertaking and will appear in Provincial Court on November 23, 2021 in The Pas, Manitoba. 

As this matter is now before the courts, the IIU will not make any further comment on its investigation.

Community Projects Grant Fund

The application process  for the community projects grant fund is now open.

 

The Pas community renewal corporation is giving local organizations a chance to apply for up to 5000 dollars to put towards community projects that bring people together.

 

funding is available for outreach activities, beatification projects, social and recreational activates, and skill building programs.

Community events coordinator holly laJambe can be reached at the TPCRC for full details 204-623-2087 or tpcrc.staff@gmail.com

 

The program will be open until all funds have been allocated .

The Pas Community Development Corporation Commercial Land

The Pas Community Development Corporation has released details on the recently acquired land located at the West entrance of The Pas.

 

The 66 acres of land at the Corner of Highway 283 and Stockcar Road was previously owned and has been zoned as commercial land and the goal is to development both commercial and residential sites on the land to sustain the community.

 

The CDC is spearheading the land acquisition and they invite anyone interested in developing on the land to contact the CDC at 204-627-1118

PARTNERS MAKE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

The Pas, MB – The Town of The Pas, RM of Kelsey, and Kelsey Planning District have partnered
with The Pas Community Development Corporation to make a significant investment with the
purchase of a key property along Highway 283, on the west entrance of town. This purchase
provides the CDC with approximately 66 acres of land for much needed new development,

including residential and commercial. This will support the vision of The Pas CDC to develop
residential and commercial sites to sustain the community.



The Pas CDC has purchased two parcels of land to amount to a total of 66 acres, located along
the corner of Hwy 283 and Stockcar Road. This land was previously privately owned, and has
been zoned as commercial, with the opportunity to zone portions as residential.



This is an exciting opportunity for the region, as we are opening up space for potential

development to improve the sustainability of the community. “We have not had access to large
scale space in our community for commercial style development with good exposure to highway

frontage. We now have such a space.” Said Mayor Herb Jacques. This exciting news follows the
clearing of land along Highway 10 on Opaskwayak Cree Nation, which has been intended for future commercial development.



The Pas Community Development Corporation is spearheading the land acquisition and will be
working towards land development and infrastructure plans in the near future. For any questions
or comments, please reach out to Jackie Rechenmacher, Economic Development Coordinator for The Pas CDC. She can be reached at
ecdev@thepascdc.com or 204-627-1118

Major Accomplishment for Opaskwayak Cree Nation Member

Our Local MLA Amanda Lathlin recognized Kimberley Ballatyne in the Manitoba legislature recently for earning her private pilot’s license and for becoming the first female indigenous pilot from Opaskwayak Cree Nation. 

 

In 2020, Ballantyne was selected out of hundreds of applicants for the flight program at First Nations Technical Institute and she completed the course while working a full time job and looking after her children. She also managed to complete her required flight hours in three months.

 

Kimberly Ballantyne wants to thank her family and the team at Manitoba Aerospace for supporting her dream, and Lathlin wants to wish Ballantyne a bright future.

University College of the North's Career and Work-Integrated Learning Coordinator Recognized Nationally

(The Pas, MB) – University College of the North (UCN) Career and Work-Integrated Learning Coordinator, Krystle Paskaruk, has been recognized by Co-operative Education & Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada and featured on podcasts. 

 

Paskaruk was recognized as a spotlight member of the month by CEWIL Canada. She also was recently featured on Manitoba Association for Career Development (MACD) and Outcome Campus Connect podcasts.

 

“It reinforced the significance and importance of this work for me because career development isn’t just about getting a great job,” said Krystle Paskaruk, UCN Career and Work-Integrated Learning Coordinator. “It’s about helping people navigate changes, challenges and choice; it’s about discovering what you like, dislike and what you are really good at—all of which impact work.” 

 

The Manitoba Association for Career Development first approached Paskaruk to be a featured member of their Career Conversations podcast. They felt she could bring a unique perspective and insight to growing up, residing and working in Northern Manitoba.  

 

“This recognition comes as no surprise.” said UCN Assoc. VP of Community and Industry Solutions, Rob Penner. “Krystle’s knowledge of career development, the work that she has accomplished, even during the pandemic, and the unique northern perspective that she brings are valuable assets. We recognize this at UCN, and it is wonderful to see that her colleagues in Manitoba and across Canada are benefiting from this as well.”

 

Paskaruk was also recommended to participate in the Outcome Campus Connects podcast, Orbis. This podcast is a national conversation on career readiness with depth and breadth in career preparation, student career readiness, and employers’ perspectives on hiring. 

 

Find Paskurak’s guest segments on all podcast streaming platforms or at https://anchor.fm/macd and https://youtu.be/j_lzS8dQhHg.

 

University College of the North provides learning opportunities to northern communities while respecting diverse Indigenous and northern values. UCN acknowledges that its campuses in The Pas and Thompson are located in Treaty No. 5 territory; along with regional centres, these are the traditional territories for many Indigenous peoples whose relationship to the land creates a rich heritage for our northern learning community.

COVID-19 Bulletin #519

Public health officials advise nine new deaths in people with COVID-19 are being reported today:

  • a male in his 60s from the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region (reported Friday) linked to an unspecified variant of concern;
  • a male in his 80s from the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region (reported Friday); 
  • a male in his 50s from the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region (reported Saturday) linked to an unspecified variant of concern;
  • a male in his 70s from the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region (reported Saturday) linked to an unspecified variant of concern;
  • a male in his 70s from the Winnipeg health region (reported Saturday) linked to an unspecified variant of concern;
  • a male in his 50s from the Northern health region (reported Sunday);
  • a female in her 60s from the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region (reported Sunday) linked to an unspecified variant of concern;
  • a male in his 70s from the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region (reported Tuesday) linked to an unspecified variant of concern; and
  • a male in his 80s from the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region (reported Tuesday) linked to an unspecified variant of concern.

Today's five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 3.9 per cent provincially and 1.2 per cent in Winnipeg. As of 9:30 a.m. today, 479 new cases of the virus have been identified since Friday: 130 cases on Friday, Oct. 8; 90 cases on Saturday, Oct. 9; 114 cases Sunday, Oct. 10, 79 cases Monday, Oct. 11 and 66 cases today. This includes:

  • 42 cases in the Interlake-Eastern health region;
  • 106 cases in the Northern health region;
  • 68 cases in the Prairie Mountain health region;
  • 161 cases in the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region; and
  • 102 cases in the Winnipeg health region.

Fifteen cases have been removed due to data correction, bringing the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 61,721.

There were 66 new cases identified in Manitoba today. Of these, 42 are in individuals who were not fully vaccinated. This includes:

  • three new cases with one was not fully vaccinated in the Interlake-Eastern health region;
  • seven new cases with six not fully vaccinated in the Northern health region;
  • eight new cases with six not fully vaccinated in the Prairie Mountain health region;
  • 24 new cases with 16 not fully vaccinated in the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region; and
  • 24 new cases with 10 not fully vaccinated in the Winnipeg health region.

Today’s data also shows:

  • 928 active cases and 59,569 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19;
  • 85 Manitobans hospitalized with COVID-19 including 48 people with active COVID-19 as well as 37 people who are no longer infectious; 
  • a total of 16 Manitoba patients receiving intensive care for COVID-19 including 11 people in intensive care units with active COVID-19 as well as five people who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care;
  • 1,920 laboratory tests were completed yesterday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February 2020 to 1,037,630; and
  • the total number of deaths in people with COVID-19 is 1,224. 

An outbreak has been declared at Springs Christian Academy Youville Campus in Winnipeg and two classes have been moved to the restricted (Orange) level on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System. Outbreaks have been declared over at Chemawawin Cree Nation and Salem Home in Winkler.   

Currently, household members without symptoms do not need to self-isolate (quarantine) if there is a symptomatic individual or asymptomatic close contact in their home while they are waiting for test results. The symptomatic individual or asymptomatic close contact needs to stay in their own room and, if possible, use their own bathroom and not use common areas. It is recommended that household members wear a mask and physically distance where possible when outside the household in these circumstances and avoid leaving the home for non-essential reasons. If the close contact becomes symptomatic, all household members unless otherwise exempt should self-isolate (quarantine) until test results are known or advised by public health. Exemptions from self-isolation (quarantine) are in place for individuals who are fully immunized or recently infected with COVID-19 in the past six months.

As a result of increased community transmission and case numbers in the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region, public health officials are implementing stricter household self-isolation (quarantine) requirements for this region. Household members of close contacts or symptomatic people who have not had any known COVID-19 exposures must also self-isolate. The online screening tool will provide guidance on the timeline for self-isolation. Public health officials will also provide this guidance during the contact tracing process.

Fully vaccinated (two doses) or recently infected (within six months) people will be exempt from this requirement. Asymptomatic designated workers who are not fully vaccinated, but are taking part in a regular rapid testing program are also exempt from self-isolation (quarantine). If the worker or a close contact in the household has symptoms, the exemption does not apply. 

Possible exposure locations are listed online by region at the province’s #RestartMB Pandemic Response System webpage. For up-to-date information on possible public exposures to COVID-19 in regions, visit www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/updates/flights.html#event and click on your region. 

Additional data is available at https://geoportal.gov.mb.ca/. Data related to COVID-19, variants of concern, outbreaks and some downloadable and historic data can also be found at this site.  

For up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba including the online screening tool, testing criteria and locations, self-isolation requirements, public health fundamentals and the provincial response level on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID19.

Monthly Mayor Reports September

The Monthly Major reports for September have been finalized.

The Town of The Pas had mostly disturbances of the peace 139 in total and The RM of Kelsey once again had mainly provincial traffic violations a total of 31.

 

The community of Cormorant had mostly disturbance of the peace cases

Honour 150 Local Award Winners

In Honour of Manitoba’s 150th anniversary, 150 Manitobans have been recognized for the work they have done for their communities including three people from The Pas with the Honour 150 Awards.

 

Margaret Bartlett was recognized for volunteer work with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 19 here in The Pas for the past 25 years.

 

Cheryl Antonio has been recognized for working to improve the town of The Pas and Terry Mckellep was recognized for her work on community projects.

 

Olivia McCorriston who has a connection to The Pas was also recognized for her work as a teacher and for supporting youth.

Vehicle Fire in Timberland Trailer Park

On Sunday Evening The Pas Fire Department and OCN fire were dispatched to a vehicle fire at the Timberland Trailer Park.

 

Upon arrival it was discovered that a truck was fully involved but fire crews managed to contain the blaze to the vehicle.

 

No injuries were reported but the vehicle involved was a total loss.

 

The Pas Fire Chief Randy Manych stated in a news release that this was a good example of how The Pas and OCN fire departments worked together for the better of our communities.

 

Timberland Trailer Park is on OCN land.

COVID-19 BULLETIN #517

Public health officials advise two new deaths in people with COVID-19 are being reported today:

  • a male in his 70s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region (reported Saturday) linked to the unspecified variant of concern; and
  • a male in his 70s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health (reported Sunday) linked to the unspecified variant of concern.

Today's five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 3.7 per cent provincially and 1.5 per cent in Winnipeg. As of 9:30 a.m. today, 324 new cases of the virus have been identified since Friday: 121 cases on Saturday, Oct. 2; 120 cases on Sunday, Oct. 3; and 83 cases today. This includes:

  • 25 cases in the Interlake-Eastern health region;
  • 48 cases in the Northern health region;
  • 42 cases in the Prairie Mountain health region;
  • 122 cases in the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region; and
  • 87 cases in the Winnipeg health region.

Nine cases have been removed due to data correction, bringing the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 60,943.

There were 83 new cases identified in Manitoba today. Of these, 59 are in individuals who were not fully vaccinated. This includes:

  • four new cases, with one not fully vaccinated, in the Interlake-Eastern health region;
  • 12 new cases, with 10 not fully vaccinated, in the Northern health region;
  • 15 new cases, with nine not fully vaccinated, in the Prairie Mountain health region;
  • 29 new cases, with 25 not fully vaccinated, in the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region; and
  • 23 new cases, with 14 not fully vaccinated, in the Winnipeg health region.

Today’s data also shows:

  • 814 active cases and 58,916 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19;
  • 98 Manitobans hospitalized with COVID-19 including 64 people with active COVID-19 as well as 34 people who are no longer infectious;
  • a total of 18 Manitoba patients receiving intensive care for COVID-19 including 13 people in intensive care units with active COVID-19 as well as five people who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care;
  • 2,403 laboratory tests were completed yesterday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February 2020 to 1,014,482 and
  • the total number of deaths in people with COVID-19 is 1,213.

New public health orders will take effect tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 5, to increase COVID-19 preparedness and address the fourth wave. The province is moving to the restricted (orange) level on the Pandemic Response System, which includes introducing additional public health orders that expand requirements for proof of immunization and reduce gathering sizes when unvaccinated individuals are present, and implementing new patient protocols to ensure additional health system capacity when needed. The new orders are expected to expire Oct. 26. For more information visit https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=52562&posted=2021-10-01.

The outbreak has been declared over at Christian Heritage School in Brandon.

Possible exposure locations are listed online by region at the province’s #RestartMB Pandemic Response System webpage. For up-to-date information on possible public exposures to COVID-19 in regions, visit www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/updates/flights.html#event and click on your region. 

Additional data is available at https://geoportal.gov.mb.ca/. Data related to COVID-19, variants of concern, outbreaks and some downloadable and historic data can also be found at this site.  

For up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba including the online screening tool, testing criteria and locations, self-isolation requirements, public health fundamentals and the provincial response level on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID19.

Every Child Matters Orange Shirt Walk Turnout

As part of the National day for Truth and Reconciliation, a special Every Child Matters walk was held on OCN and according to organizer Muriel Young the events turnout was great.

 

Young says at least 300 people showed up and she would like to thank everyone that attended.

 

The walk began at the Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre and ended at the OCN Arbour site.

 

The walk was conducted to promote awareness of the residential school system and to show respect to the victims and their families.

PROVINCE STEPS UP PREPAREDNESS FOR COVID-19 FOURTH WAVE, MOVES TO RESTRICTED (ORANGE) LEVEL ON PANDEMIC RESPONSE SYSTEM

Expansion of Proof of Vaccination, New Public Health Orders and Health System Protocols Will Help Protect Hospitals: Gordon

Manitoba is taking additional steps to protect Manitobans and maintain health services, including non-COVID-19 care, during a fourth wave of the pandemic, Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon and Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, announced today.   “Rising case counts and COVID-19 transmission in the province means we need to introduce new measures now to reduce the impact of a fourth wave of COVID-19 on our hospitals,” said Gordon. “Case counts and hospitalizations are rising everywhere in Canada, and Manitoba is not immune. That is why we must be proactive now.”  

The minister noted Manitoba’s progress on vaccination remains one of the best in the country with 80.4 per cent of eligible Manitobans fully vaccinated and 84.9 per cent who have received at least one dose as of Wednesday. But case numbers and hospitalizations are now increasing, noted Gordon, especially among the nearly 400,000 unvaccinated Manitobans, which will place the province’s medical care system at risk if the rise continues unabated. As of Wednesday, people who are not fully vaccinated accounted for 75 per cent of new COVID-19 cases, 79 per cent of those admitted to hospital and 100 per cent of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions.

Data also shows that hospital admissions related to COVID-19 have increased by 26 per cent in the past week with COVID-19 related admissions to ICU increasing by 17 per cent during that same period. Should this continue, Roussin cautioned access to other medical care in hospitals will have to be reduced or halted to ensure sufficient ICU capacity for COVID-19 care is available.

To increase COVID-19 preparedness and address the fourth wave, the province is taking three new steps to help reduce COVID-19 transmission:
• moving to the restricted (orange) level on the Pandemic Response System;
• introducing additional public health orders that expand requirements for proof of immunization and reduce gathering sizes when unvaccinated individuals are present; and
• implementing new patient protocols to ensure additional health system capacity when needed.  

The COVID-19 response level on the province’s Pandemic Response System is being raised to restricted (orange) from caution (yellow) to reflect the increased severity of risk. Roussin noted the move to the restricted (orange) level will not affect schools. Schools will remain at the caution (yellow) level at this time to ensure youth can remain in school as much as possible. At this time, public health officials continue to recommend a school-specific approach when risk is identified.

New public health orders will allow fully vaccinated Manitobans to continue to enjoy as much freedom and as few restrictions as possible. Unvaccinated individuals who are eligible to be vaccinated will now be more restricted in their activities. This includes: • limiting private indoor gatherings for households to guests from one other household when any unvaccinated person who is eligible to be vaccinated is present on the property (even if the unvaccinated person lives at that location);
• limiting private outdoor gatherings for households to 10 guests when any unvaccinated person who is eligible to be vaccinated is present on the property (even if the unvaccinated person lives at that location);
• reducing indoor public gathering group sizes to 25 people or 25 per cent capacity, whichever is lower, for gatherings that include unvaccinated people who are eligible to be vaccinated, including weddings and funerals; and
• setting indoor group sizes for faith-based gatherings to 25 people or 33 per cent capacity, whichever is greater, for gatherings that include unvaccinated people who are eligible to be vaccinated.  

Fully immunized Manitobans and those under 12 who are not eligible for the vaccine may gather without capacity limits in each of these areas. Household gatherings, weddings, funerals and faith-based gatherings can occur for fully vaccinated individuals and those under 12 without any restrictions.   For example, faith-based gatherings may take place with a choice of services at their discretion for fully immunized worshippers (no restrictions) or unvaccinated worshippers (restricted capacity as set out above).

In addition, gated or controlled events and gatherings where proof of vaccination is required will continue to be permitted.   The public health orders will also:
• reduce all outdoor public gathering sizes to 50 people; and
• move retail capacity to 50 per cent in the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in this region.

The new orders will come into effect on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 12:01 a.m., with an additional one-week grace period for weddings and funerals already scheduled to minimize disruption.

Roussin noted that fully vaccinated Manitobans and Manitobans who are not eligible for vaccination will be largely unaffected by these new orders.   “Our data shows that vaccination works, as the vast majority of hospitalizations and ICU admissions are in people who are unvaccinated,” said Roussin. “But nearly 400,000 Manitobans are either unable or unwilling to get vaccinated and our health-care system remains at risk from the delta variant of COVID-19 with case numbers and hospitalizations rising. Today’s announcements are the consequences of that reality.”  

Future changes may include requiring all those eligible to be vaccinated to provide proof of vaccination to participate in indoor recreational activities and allowing partially vaccinated youth aged 12 to 17 (with one vaccine dose) to participate. Conversations will continue with sports organizations and other stakeholders to seek feedback.  

“More than 80 per cent of eligible Manitobans have gotten vaccinated to protect their own health and those around them, and we thank you for that,” said Gordon. “But right now, there are nearly 400,000 people who are not immunized in Manitoba and they are at a high risk of infection. If you want to keep children in schools and ensure medical procedures people need are not postponed, please get vaccinated now.”

Gordon noted the province’s critical care capacity must remain protected for patients. New protocols will be put in place to protect capacity at sites that support patients in intensive care units, as well as those in need of surgery. Patients admitted to a hospital or health-care facility for care will be assessed for their individual care requirements and may be transferred to the most appropriate facility in Manitoba with the capacity to meet their needs in order to maintain vital ICU capacity. This may mean patients are medically transferred at no cost to another Manitoba facility located outside their home community. This includes patients who live in Winnipeg.

Staffing complements for ICUs have been intensified. The minister noted additional nurses trained to support patients in need of critical care have been made ready in recent months. This includes more than 137 nurses who completed a two-week general ICU orientation course offered between April and July 2021, as well as 67 nurses who have completed or are currently enrolled in a 12-week critical care orientation program. Further opportunities for nurses to complete this specialized training will be rolled out.  

“Vaccines have been shown to reduce the serious effects of COVID-19 and lessen the need for hospital care. With unvaccinated people requiring care in our hospitals and ICUs, these steps are necessary to maintain critical care capacity for all other patients in our hospitals,” said Gordon. “COVID-19 has created a heartbreaking backlog of surgeries and other medical procedures right across the country. Every new COVID-19 patient that requires hospital or ICU care can delay needed care for someone else.”  

For more information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.gov.mb.ca/covid19.

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