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All of Manitoba will be moved to the critical red level on the Pandemic Response System starting Thursday.
Premier Brian Pallister and Dr. Brent Roussin made the announcement today, making the move to halt COVID-19 transmission and to protect Manitoba’s most vulnerable citizens.
Dr. Roussin says the restrictions will be in effect for a minimum of 2 weeks.
The new Critical (red) level restrictions will be in effect province-wide and include:
- Social contacts reduced to your household only. Social gatherings are not permitted.
- Travel to and from northern Manitoba is restricted and non-essential travel is discouraged.
- Retail businesses listed as critical services, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, can remain open at 25 per cent capacity.
- Retail businesses not on the list are able to provide e-service, curbside pickup or delivery services.
- All personal service businesses, including hair salons, barbers and sites offering manicures, pedicures and other esthetic services, must close.
- Gyms and fitness centres must close.
- Religious and cultural gatherings must close or be provided virtually only.
- Restaurants must close to the public and may be open for delivery, drive-thru or takeout only.
- All recreational activities, sports facilities, casinos, museums, galleries, libraries, movie theatres and concert halls must close.
Why Is PMH Being Elevated To Red?
When asked why Prairie Mountain Health is also being elevated to red -- despite lower case numbers compared to the rest of the province -- Dr. Roussin cites the rising test positivity rate in all of Manitoba's health regions. Roussin also said the number of contacts per case is trending in the wrong direction.
"We have to do whatever we can right now to stop the climbing numbers."
In addition, no changes will be made to child-care services or to kindergarten to Grade 12 education delivery at this time. Roussin noted the province has not seen widespread transmission among children, students and staff.
Roussin says there are a number of things Manitobans can do themselves, to reduce the spread, that go beyond the restrictions put in place.
These include:
- Reduce the number of shoppers from your household to the lowest possible number. Send only one person to shop.
- Work from home if at all possible.
- Reduce travel unless absolutely essential.
- Remember all those you have come in contact with recently.
Fines for breaching or failing to comply with public health or emergency orders have recently been increased to $1,296 for individuals and $5,000 for corporations.
The province reminds Manitobans that compliance and enforcement issues can be reported by visiting and completing the reporting form at www.manitoba.ca/COVID19, or by calling 204-945-3744 or 1-866-626-4862 (toll-free) and pressing option three on the call menu.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
In late October, NASA had a mission to an asteroid and someone from Dauphin played a part in the mission.
The OSIRIS-REx mission to the asteroid Bennu collected material to bring back to Earth.
Leif Bloomquist, from Dauphin, says they’ve been studying the asteroid for the past two years.
“It’s important because Bennu is one of the oldest known asteroids. It’s about four and a half billion years old. So it’s expected what’s on the surface is a time capsule of the early solar system. So by studying it, maybe we can find some origins of life or some interesting chemical properties that tell us more about how the solar system formed.”
Leif says they learned a lot of really interesting things about Bennu.
“One fascinating thing is, it’s an active asteroid. We kinda thought it would be just sitting there inert, but there’s this fascinating phenomenon where every couple of days, it spews out thousands of particles the size of a golf ball. So little volcanic eruptions are happening and scientists are trying to figure out why.”
Like a lot of NASA missions, Bloomquist says the OSIRIS-REx mission was an international collaboration.
“Canada, through the Canadian Space Agency, contributed a laser mapping system called OLA, the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter. This is a little box, about the size of a microwave that shoots pulses of laser light at the asteroid and by looking at the reflection, we can build a 3D map. So NASA used that information to decide where to pick up the sample and also to study the geology and the rocks on the surface on Bennu.”
Bloomquist is a systems engineer with Macdonald, Dettwiler And Associates (MDA), the company that the Canadian Space Agency hired for the mission. MDA was formerly known as Spar Aerospace, the company that designed and built the Canadarm for NASA’s Space Shuttle program, as well as the Canadarm 2 on the International Space Station (ISS), and they’re building the Canadarm 3 for the Lunar Gateway.
Leif has taken part on two other NASA missions himself. He worked on the Phoenix Mars Lander in 2007, this was the NASA mission that landed a platform and a series of instruments on the surface of Mars to study the soil and atmosphere of the planet. Canada contributed a weather station for that mission. He’s also worked on some of the operations software for the ISS.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Remembrance Day ceremonies all across Canada will have to look much different this year — with many asking the public not to attend in person.
Manitoba’s chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin says we need to avoid gathering.
“We know Remembrance Day is coming up this week. Obviously such an important day in our history to show respect, but we need to do things differently this year. We will be putting many people at risk if we get together in large gatherings. So we need to find creative ways — virtual ways — to do this."
Wednesday’s ceremony at the cenotaph in Dauphin will run from roughly 10:50 a.m to 11:05 a.m. — and you can watch the live video stream on the Dauphin Legion Facebook page.
The ceremony will also be broadcasted on the radio right here on 730 CKDM.
In-line with public health guidelines, organizers for the Remembrance Day ceremony in Dauphin are asking the public to observe the ceremony virtually with a live-stream on their Facebook page, or on the radio on 730 CKDM.
Dauphin Legion Padre Steve Wilson says Wednesday’s ceremony will be brief and dignified, featuring one wreath that will be laid to represent all of the people who wish to cherish the memory of our veterans.
“The end goal is to remember those who gave their lives in the service of our country — for us.”
This year's Remembrance Day ceremonies mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Prairie Mountain Health officials are providing an update on testing site hours for the Remembrance Day holiday on Wednesday, November 11.
All other PMH testing sites will be closed for Remembrance Day.
Appointments for testing at the sites in Dauphin and Swan River are now by appointment only.
Only symptomatic individuals will be able to make appointments to get tested, as people without symptoms are no longer eligible for COVID-19 testing unless specifically directed by public health.
To book an appointment, please call 1-855-268-4318 or book online.
There are currently testing sites in the Prairie Mountain Health region located in Dauphin, Swan River, Brandon, Camperville, and Waterhen.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Health officials are reporting 3 more deaths due to COVID-19 and 365 new cases.
The most recent Manitobans to die after contracting COVID-19 include:
• a male in his 70s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
• a male in his 90s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and
• a female in her 80s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at Victoria General Hospital.
The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 9.5 per cent provincially and 9.3 per cent in Winnipeg.
The total number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba is now 8,495.
There are 5,152 active cases and 3,234 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. There are 192 people in hospital with 28 people in intensive care.
The number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 109.
Today’s data shows:
• 16 cases in the Interlake–Eastern health region;
• 16 cases in the Northern health region;
• nine cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region;
• 91 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and
• 233 cases in the Winnipeg health region.
The following Parkland health districts have active cases: Swan River (10), Porcupine Mountain (3), Duck Mountain (1), Asessippi (6), Little Saskatchewan (5), Whitemud (13), and Agassiz Mountain (1). Dauphin has 0 active cases. Brandon has 39 active cases.
In the Interlake region, the Eriksdale/Ashern health district has 70 active cases. The Fisher/Peguis health district has 186 active cases. Peguis First Nation is currently at Red on the Pandemic Response System. Statistics show First Nations people make up about 10% of the population, but have 20% of all active cases in the province.
Starting today, the Southern Health region has been placed at the Red level on the Pandemic Response System.
The Prairie Mountain Health region is at Orange — with restrictions limiting gathering sizes to 5 people and requiring restaurants and most retail establishments to operate at 50% capacity.
The following sites in Prairie Mountain Health are elevated to Red:
Exposures In Prairie Mountain Health
The following exposures have been reported in Prairie Mountain Health:
Anyone who was at the above locations at the specified times is asked to self-monitor for symptoms and only seek testing if symptoms develop, unless otherwise directed by public health.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
The Manitoba government is spending $10-million in federal funds to establish a new remote learning support centre.
The province will be hiring 100 teachers and 20 educational assistants for the new centre that aims to support students and families who are learning remotely.
At this time, remote learning in Manitoba is available (1) as part of the blended learning model for some high schools, (2) to students with a special health-related exemption from being in the classroom, and (3) in situations where a school is at an elevated level on the Pandemic Response System.
Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen says “this new centre will provide much-needed support to teachers across the province who are leading remote learning, many for the first time, and to parents who have found themselves in the role of teacher and are in need of resources.”
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
The Rotary Club of Dauphin is introducing a special way to honour a loved one who has passed away.
CN Park will be lit up with thousands of bright lights as part of the ‘Gifts of Light’ Rotary fundraiser.
Rotary Club member Steven Sobering says the idea is to have a little grove of lit Christmas trees that people can sponsor in memory of a loved one.
“Because of COVID-19, nobody has been allowed to gather for funerals. So this is a way to memorialize people and it’s also a beautiful display of lights.”
The Rotary Club was given permission from the city to set up 6-8 foot Christmas trees at CN Park — and will be selling sponsorship of trees for $250, with approximately 20 trees available.
Those interested in sponsoring a tree can call Steven Sobering at 204 638 8604 or Kara Vanderheyden at 204 638 3223, or contact any Rotarian.
“[The idea is to] kind of give people a little bit of hope and something to enjoy. I think it’s good timing, and it’s a nice way for us to raise funds for other projects that we support in the community,” said Sobering.
The funds raised will contribute to future Rotary projects.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
The freezing rain and harsh conditions on Sunday have resulted in power outages and reports of downed lines in some areas.
Manitoba Hydro says they’ve been dealing with reports of downed and sagging lines in the Parkland region on Sunday.
#mbstorm We have reports of downed and sagging power lines in the Parkland region due to ice on lines. Please treat all downed lines as live. https://t.co/3Avsvd3xWi
— Manitoba Hydro (@manitobahydro) November 8, 2020
Manitoba Hydro is reminding the public to stay at least 10 metres away from downed lines, to treat them as if they were energized, and to call 911 or your local emergency services immediately.
A power outage was reported Sunday afternoon in the Gilbert Plains and Ashville area.
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- Contributed by 730 CKDM
Public health officials are reporting three more deaths and 441 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday.
This brings Manitoba’s total number of cases to 8,130.
The Manitoba government has extended the state of emergency for the province due to COVID-19 for another 30 days. The state of emergency was first imposed on March 20th.
The latest Manitobans to die after contracting COVID-19 include:
• a female in her 70s from the Winnipeg health region;
• a female in her 80s from the Winnipeg health region; and
• a female in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to an outbreak at the Seine River Retirement Home.
The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 9.2 percent. The test positivity rate in Winnipeg is 8.9 percent.
Today’s data shows:
• 16 cases in the Interlake–Eastern health region;
• 12 cases in the Northern health region;
• nine cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region;
• 86 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and
• 318 cases in the Winnipeg health region.
The following Parkland health districts have active cases according to provincial data: Swan River (10), Porcupine Mountain (3), Duck Mountain (1), Asessippi (6), Agassiz Mountain (1), Little Saskatchewan (5), Whitemud (9). Brandon has 33 active cases.
There are 68 active cases in the Interlake’s Eriksdale/Ashern health district. The Fisher/Peguis health district has 183 active cases.
In the entire province of Manitoba, there are 4,849 active cases and 3,175 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. There are 173 people in hospital with 25 people in intensive care.
The number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 106.
On Monday, the Southern Health region will join Winnipeg in the red ‘critical’ level on the Pandemic Response System.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Walking like a penguin may help you stay upright in slippery conditions today, as a blanket of ice has fallen over some parts of the Parkland.
A message from Alberta Health Services suggests the "Penguin Walk” can be a helpful technique to avoid falling on the ice.
It involves taking shorter, shuffle-like steps, keeping your centre of gravity over your feet as much as possible, and pointing your feet slightly out — just like the adorable aquatic bird that's native to the southern hemisphere.
November is "Falls Prevention Month" — Prairie Mountain Health has also provided safe winter walking tips on their website, which emphasize choosing proper footwear, putting sand on your steps and sidewalk, and to use caution when entering/exiting your vehicle.
A freezing rain warning was issued Sunday morning for the Parkland and other areas in central Manitoba -- calling for freezing rain that's expected to taper off Sunday night.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
A powerful low-pressure system will impact the Prairies — as a potent winter storm will bring heavy snow, wind, and a risk of freezing rain on Sunday.
As a result, Environment Canada has issued a number of weather warnings for the Parkland on Sunday.
Freezing Rain Warning
A freezing rain warning is in effect for areas including Dauphin, Winnipegosis, Russell, Minnedosa, Ste. Rose, Gladstone, and Ashern.
Freezing rain developing Sunday morning/afternoon is expected to taper off Sunday night.
Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots will become icy, slippery and hazardous. Officials are asking the public to consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.
Winter Storm Warning
A winter storm warning has been issued for some Parkland communities — like Swan River, Duck Mountain, and Minitonas-Bowsman — along with large sections of northern Manitoba.
Moderate to heavy snow will begin in these more northern areas Sunday morning and continue through to Monday.
Snowfall totals as high as 30 to 50 cm are expected, and some regions will also see a mix of snow and freezing rain.
Weather warning issued by Environment Canada | Freezing rain warnings are in effect for more southern areas, while the north deals with winter storm warnings and a possible 30 to 50 cm of snow.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
