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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the shipment of one million masks to Canadian provinces and territories.
He adds that the province has secured millions of pieces of vital equipment from companies.
Trudeau says too many Canadians are still going on needless outings, potentially encouraging the spread of COVID-19.
He says that puts health workers at risk, and that threatens everyone who might need medical care.
Trudeau says none of the lost jobs, or the efforts to crank up the national systems for distributing goods, will be worth it if Canadians don't stay home as much as possible.
Trudeau will speak with premiers later today to work out an approach to get critical medical supplies to communities that need them.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
We’ll be seeing a slightly different update from the province tomorrow morning.
Manitoba health officials will be fielding questions from children, during a special Youtube livestream at 11am on Thursday.
If your kids are wondering why they can’t go to school, or maybe they’re not sure whether or not they can play outside; this is their chance to ask.
All questions must be submitted beforehand at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Kids are asked to include their name, grade, school, and maybe even their teacher’s name for extra credit.
Dr. William Li and chief nursing officer for Shared Health Lanette Siragusa will be answering questions and giving out information.
You can tune in live at youtube.com/ManitobaGovernment.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
To get more hands on deck in the fight against COVID-19, the province is making it easier for former nurses to become registered again.
Health Minister Cameron Friesen is issuing the order to expedite the process of getting nurses registered. That includes waiving the application and registration fees.
Former registrants of the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba that are interested should visit the College website.
The minister noted the order will remain in place until there is no longer a serious and immediate threat to public health.
For more information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/covid19.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Changes are being made to the garbage and recycling pick up for the week of April 6th.
The following schedule will apply:
Monday, April 6th- Day 1
Tuesday, April 7th- Day 2
Wednesday, April 8th- Day 3
Thursday, April 9th- Day 4
Friday, April 10th- No pick-up
Yard waste container pickup is set to begin Tuesday, April 14th.
Regular Collection days will resume the week of April 21st.
For more information, contact city hall at (204) 622-3200.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
Manitoba public health officials identified 24 additional cases of COVID-19 in today's update.
The total number of cases in the province is now 127. There are 9 confirmed cases in the Prarie Mountian Health region.
Four individuals are listed as recovered, and there are currently 3 individuals in intensive care.
The total number of deaths in Manitoba remains at 1.
Today there will be new screening procedures implemented for staff working in acute and long-term care facilities. The new measures require all staff to arrive an hour before their shift to have their temperature taken, and answer questions about any symptoms or possible exposures to the virus.
The chief provincial public health officer also has a message for non-critical businesses, and how they could still operate during the state of emergency. All non-exempt businesses may:
•continue to operate where customers can order goods online or by telephone; however, customers cannot attend the businesses’ premises or property to order goods;
•continue to sell goods to customers where those goods can be picked up ‘curbside’ or delivered to customers; however, customers cannot pick up goods at businesses’ premises or on its property;
•allow staff to attend the businesses’ premises, without a limitation on the number of staff, as long as staff take measures to keep social distancing of one to two metres apart from each other; and
•accept delivery of goods and may allow services, such as construction, repairs, maintenance and cleaning to occur at their premises and on their property.
More information for businesses can be found at EngageMB.ca.
The province is also continuing the call for donations of the following supplies:
• N95 respirators of various models and sizes, both hospital and industrial grade;
• surgical/procedure masks;
• gloves;
• disposable gowns; and
• disinfectants and cleaners.
For more information on donating supplies, click here, or call (toll-free) 1-833-408-0101.
There are now 16 community testing sites in Manitoba, including one in Dauphin at the MPI Service Centre. You need to call Health-Links for a referral to be tested at these sites. More information on locations and hours of operation are available here.
Prairie Mountain Health says after going through the appropriate steps with Health Links, individuals still need to have an appointment before presenting at a designated testing site.
"They will need to wait for the official call to come from the PMH Call Centre telling them what time to come for testing."
Any person concerned about their exposure to or risk of having COVID-19 should call Health Links–Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or (toll-free) at 1-888-315-9257 to be screened to see if a test is required.
For more information and to access the online screening tool for COVID-19, visit www.manitoba.ca/covid19.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
When the province announced the closure of non-essential Manitoba businesses due to COVID-19, it left some of us with more questions than answers.
That’s why the Dauphin District Chamber of Commerce is stepping up to help all local businesses navigate these uncharted waters.
Chamber executive director Stephen Chychota says the government’s long list of essential and non-critical businesses led to some confusion among business owners. For some, it's still not clear whether or not they can stay open.
Chychota says one of the most valuable resources for business owners right now is an online question-and-answer tool set up by the Manitoba government. You can check it out by clicking here.
Another valuable resource for residents and business owners is the Parkland Area Business Updates Facebook page, where you can find updated information on what local businesses are doing at this time.
Through this challenging time, Chychota wants you to know the Dauphin District Chamber of Commerce will keep working to be an avenue to important information.
If you have any questions or anything else to share, Chychota encourages you to reach out to the Chamber, who will voice those concerns for you up the chain of command.
Any businesses that still have questions about how to react are encouraged to keep an eye on the Dauphin Chamber website, where there will be links to major suppliers of information.
The Manitoba premier announced earlier this week all non-critical businesses will have to close, from April 1st until April 14th. To view a full list of which businesses will be staying open, click here.
Once again, the online question and answer tool set up by the Manitoba government can be accessed here.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
After dealing with an early outbreak of COVID-19, China is now expected to begin moving some manufacturing back online.
Some reports say China has signalled it will continue to allow Canadian canola imports, even with the April 1st expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
It doesn’t mean a full return of Canadian canola traded into China, but it appears we can expect some trade to continue for the time being.
China pumped the brakes on purchasing Canadian canola in early 2019, citing pest issues. Relations became a bit rocky between the two trade partners following the detainment of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver.
According to Stats Canada, as much as 40% of Canada’s canola crop used to be purchased by China. Recent estimates say Canada is now only shipping a third of that volume in canola seed to China.
Going forward, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicates he’s seen promising signs, and discussions between Canadian and Chinese officials will continue.
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- Contributed by 730 CKDM
A scheduled pay raise for all Members of Parliament is being condemned by a local MP.
Dan Mazier, MP for Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa, thinks it’s inappropriate for politicians to accept a raise during the COVID-19 crisis.
“COVID-19 is not only a health crisis, it is an economic crisis that is impacting the finances of all Canadians. It’s Canadians who need support at this time, not politicians.”
MPs are required to accept the raise under current legislation, so Mazier has decided to donate his pay increase to local organizations and charities working to support the people impacted by COVID-19 in his riding. Mazier notes it’s an especially challenging time for many local charities who are dealing with decreased revenue and increased demand.
The MP for Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa has also been virtually meeting with local businesses, industry leaders, and constituents to hear their stories, and voice their concerns to other MPs and government officials. He’s encouraging everyone to support local businesses in our rural communities during and after the pandemic.
Going forward, Mazier is encouraging community members to continue reaching out and assisting seniors, and to follow the advice of public health officials to reduce the risk of exposure to those with underlying health issues.
You can listen to Dan Mazier on 730 CKDM during “Parliament and the Parkland” this Thursday morning at 8:15am during the Al Morning Show.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
The provincial government has released another Spring Thaw Outlook.
Our relatively dry winter should put us in a good position to steer clear of spring floods, although officials are saying a major storm in early April could put Manitoba at a greater risk.
The Red River Valley continues to be a focal point in Manitoba for potential high-water situations.
Water levels are expected to be similar to the spring of 2019, as forecasters are expecting a significant inflow of water from the northern United States, according to Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler.
With the province already devoting so many emergency resources to the fight against COVID-19, the minister assures Manitobans there are contingency plans in place in the event of a high-water situation.
The entire 2020 Spring Thaw Outlook report will be available here.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
The provincial government has loosened up their Spring Road Restrictions, to better support the transportation of essential commodities during the fight against COVID-19.
Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler says this will help ensure communities continue to have access to items such as medical supplies, groceries and emergency equipment at this crucial time.
Essential commodities include groceries, medical supplies, fuel, fertilizer, bulk milk, potable water for non-industrial use, emergency equipment and materials, and mail delivery on behalf of the Canada Post Corporation. This also includes livestock and livestock feed in transit, and hay for feed in transit within Manitoba.
Normally, spring weight restrictions are enforced on surfaced roads in Manitoba, to protect roads that are more susceptible to damage because of spring rains and thawing.
For more information on the updates to road restrictions, click here.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning, calling for 10 to 20 cm.
On Wednesday morning, we’re expecting a low-pressure system that will track north out of the Dakotas, giving heavy wet snow to areas near the Saskatchewan Manitoba border.
The snow will begin early in the morning in the south and work its way northward throughout the day.
The snowfall warning is in effect for:
- Gilbert Plains Mun. incl. Ashville
- Grandview Mun. incl. Valley River Res.
- Mossey River Mun. incl. Winnipegosis and Fork River
- Mun. of Ethelbert incl. Garland
- Mun. of Roblin incl. Makaroff Shortdale and Bield
- Mun. of Russell-Binscarth incl. Gambler Res.
- R.M. of Dauphin incl. Sifton and Valley River
- R.M. of Lakeshore incl. Ochre River and Makinak
- R.M. of Lakeshore incl. Rorketon and Toutes Aides
- R.M. of Riding Mountain West incl. Asessippi Prov. Park
Current indications are that 10 to 20 cm will fall with this system, although local amounts could be higher.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
