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Speaking with CKDM on Wednesday afternoon, MVSD Superintendent Dan Ward says there is no new information to provide regarding the suspension of classes.
Ward explains we are essentially waiting on the province for an update on the Manitoba-wide suspension.
“We do recognize that we are under a state of emergency, and that state of emergency extends beyond April 13th. So we have posed a question, in terms of how that is going to impact schooling. The Department of Education has committed to get back to us as soon as they have an answer.”
There was a meeting Tuesday night with superintendents from school divisions across the province, the School Boards Association, and Manitoba Education. Going forward, there are meetings on Thursday and Friday that we hope will provide some more clarity.
Ward also gave an update on teachers, who have the option to work from home to promote social distancing.
“At the same time, we recognize they may need to access resources at the school. Some teachers at the high school level are meeting [online] with their students, so teachers are allowed access to the schools for resources and connectivity.”
Going forward there will be meetings virtually every day to talk about what school divisions are doing across the province to support families and students.
“As soon as we get that information from the province, we will be sending it out to parents as soon as we can.”
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Brandon University is set to close its campus at noon this Friday, March 27, with extremely limited exceptions.
All buildings will be locked and employees have been asked to work from home.
Student key cards will be turned off on Friday. If any student needs a campus computer to finish their studies, they've been asked to contact their dean to request this.
For safety reasons, buildings will only be accessible to approved students between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Despite the closure, Brandon University provides many services remotely including the remainder of classes this semester. Library services are also available online and Student Services appointments can be booked by phone or email.
Additional information will be provided at Brandon University closure.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
If you're driving around River Avenue West and River Avenue East this Sunday around 6:00 p.m., you'll notice people on their driveways enjoying their favourite drink and spreading some community cheer.
Brent and Connie Isaac have decided to shine some light on the current situation when so many people have been suffering through the growing concern of COVID-19.
This past Sunday, the Dauphin couple grabbed their favourite drink and they headed to the edge of their driveway and they weren't the only ones. Other home owners on the block did the same and when they did, it was non stop smiles and laughs. The Isaacs thought of this idea so people would go outside and make sure their neighbours are okay during this tough time.
"I think we live in a pretty awesome community here and we're just tapping into some of the kindness and goodness that's out there," said Brent Isaac. "We're trying to make people feel a little bit more connected even if it's not around a table during this period of self-isolation."
The Isaacs and a number of other people on the block plan to do the same thing this Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Even if you don't live on River Avenue, Brent is challenging everyone in Dauphin to do the same on their block.
"I would love to see if everyone in Dauphin would take this idea and run with it," continued Isaac. "Just a wave and a couple of words to your neighbour could really help them during this time, so many people need a pick me up and this is such a simple way to do it."
Brent and Connie are also urging people to take a non-perishable food item to the curb and leave it there. They would then hope someone on the block could collect all of the cans and deliver them right to the Dauphin Food Bank in this time of need.
"This is really so simple. All it takes is for one person to take a bit of initiative," concluded Isaac. "People are looking for a way to reach out and sometimes they don't know how to, this is one simple way. It really doesn't take much."
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
In order to ensure we’re well prepared during the COVID-19 outbreak, the province is calling on Manitoba businesses to help generate supplies for our healthcare system.
Health Minister Cameron Friesen announced a new online portal, where companies can register to provide goods, services, and materials that are needed to battle the novel coronavirus.
Businesses can either provide items from their existing inventory, or perhaps retool to manufacture supplies that are needed.
Products businesses can supply include:
- N95 respirators,
- surgical/procedure masks,
- nitrile gloves,
- vinyl gloves,
- nasopharyngeal swabs,
- specific types of reagent to be used in labs,
- gowns,
- hand sanitizer,
- cleaning supplies, and
- disinfecting supplies.
Services Manitobans can provide include:
- guard/security services,
- nursing services,
- food services,
- laundry services,
- accommodation maintenance services,
- personal services,
- IT support services,
- pet care services,
- transportation services, and
- consulting services.
The Health Minister noted the province is not running out of supplies, but that we’re taking proactive measures to continue being one of the best-prepared provinces facing the COVID-19 issue.
“This will help Manitoba provide the best possible care to patients, and to keep healthcare providers safe in the performance of their duties.”
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Dr. Brent Roussin announced earlier this morning that there are 14 new cases of COVID-19 in our province. One of the cases is an individual who tested in the Prairie Mountain Health region.
The 14 new cases mean there are now 35 cases of coronavirus in Manitoba. One of which is a Winnipeg woman who is in her 60s and is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
Here are the new cases
- A woman in her 30s who lives in Winnipeg.
- A girl under the age of 10 who lives in Winnipeg.
- A woman in her 40s who lives in Winnipeg.
- A man in his 30s who lives in Winnipeg.
- A woman in her 60s who lives in Winnipeg.
- A woman in her 60s who lives in Winnipeg and is receiving treatment in intensive care in hospital.
- A man in his 40s who lives in Winnipeg.
- A woman in her 30s who lives in a community in the area of southern Manitoba.
- A woman in her 40s who lives in Winnipeg.
- A man in his 60s who lives in Winnipeg.
- A woman in her 60s who lives in Winnipeg.
- A woman in her 50s who lives in a community in the area of southern Manitoba.
- A woman in her 20s who lives in Winnipeg.
- An individual who was tested in the Prairie Mountain Health region.
Roussin reiterated the importance of people following the province's recommendations to stay home when you can and practice social distancing.
"The public health investigations of these cases are continuing to confirm details," said Dr. Brent Roussin. "At this point, most of the new cases are connected to travel or through contact to previous announced cases."
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The McCreary Homecoming Committee has decided to postpone the Homecoming Celebration in order to be mindful of the public’s health and do their part to flatten the curve and reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The outbreak caused the committee and volunteers to question the feasibility of holding the event this summer from July 31st to August 2nd.
Due to the uncertainty of how long the situation will last, they’ve moved the Homecoming to next year.
The committee is rebooking the celebration and keeping it positive for when their residents, former residents and schoolmates come together again to celebrate McCreary and district homecoming.
The committee will be reaching out to refund those that have sponsored or registered for the event.
They’ll update the community ASAP about the plans for the next Homecoming Celebration, July 30th to August 1st, 2021.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
The provincial government has announced new measures to help Manitobans during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Going forward, rent increases will be frozen, and eviction hearings will be postponed.
Finance Minister Scott Fielding made the announcement today alongside Premier Brian Pallister.
“Manitobans shouldn’t have to worry about keeping a roof over their head while they’re taking steps to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. For some people, the sweeping changes affecting our daily lives may mean they are working less. Some people may be missing work while they self-monitor or self-isolate. These measures announced today will help to reduce the financial uncertainty for many Manitobans.”
The province will be suspending any rent increases scheduled to take effect on April 1st or later.
Meanwhile, there will also be a postponement of all evictions and hearings at the Residential Tenancies Branch (RTB) and Residential Tenancies Commission (RTC). There will be certain exceptions to deal with urgent issues that involve the health and safety of tenants.
For the full memo from the province, click here.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Parks Canada is introducing additional measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Visitor vehicle access will be temporarily suspended at all Parks Canada places to encourage Canadians to stay home
The changes will take effect tonight at midnight.
All visitor parking facilities will be closed, but highways and roads that pass through parks will remain open.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
We’re all dealing with a lot of uncertainty during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Speaking with CKDM, psychotherapist Julia Senchuk offers some practical advice on how you can cope with stress and support your loved ones during this challenging time.
She says it’s normal to feel stressed, but it can really help to shift your focus onto the positive.
“I would encourage people to take a step back and realize what we have control over, and what we don’t have control over. The main thing we have control over is ourselves; our thoughts, our feelings and our behaviour. Outside of that, we don’t have much control. So let’s put our time and energy into what we can control.”
According to Senchuk, sometimes the most helpful thing we can for our loved ones, is just listen.
“A lot of us just need other people to hear us and to normalize the situation and say ‘Yea, I’m feeling stressed too.’”
At the end of the day, Senchuk says focusing on what we can control can help take away a lot of the external stress, and allows us to focus on ourselves and our families.
“We just need to take it one step at a time. Recognize what we can control and move forward with a plan that works for you and your family. My plan may be different than your plan, and that’s okay.”
Julia Senchuk is a sessional instructor with Brandon University’s Department of Psychology. She also runs her own private counselling practice in Brandon.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
One more case of COVID-19 has been announced by Manitoba health officials.
The total number of lab-confirmed and probable cases in the province is now at 21.
The new probable case is a Winnipeg man in his 40’s, at this time an investigation is looking into confirming if it's travel-related.
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin says there have been over 4,500 tests COVID-19 tests sent to Manitoba’s Cadham Provincial Laboratory.
“Cadham Provincial Lab is working on a solution [to the reagent shortage]. We hope to be able to increase testing later this week.”
“Due to a worldwide shortage or reagent, Manitoba is prioritizing testing to those who are most at risk. This includes testing from First Nations, individuals in hospitals or long-term care facilities, as well as healthcare workers.”
There is a new drive-thru testing site opening south of Winnipeg, at the Winkler Centennial Arena. Once it opens it will be Manitoba’s 12th community testing site, and fourth drive-thru location.
Keep in mind, all Manitobans need a referral to be tested at these sites. They are not walk-in clinics. More information can be found here.
As a reminder, visitor access at hospitals is suspended, with some exceptions for end-of-life situations.
Dr. Roussin says if someone has mild respiratory symptoms, they are being advised to stay home, wash their hands, and disinfect frequently used services.
“I want to remind Manitobans that most people that contract COVID-19 will have mild symptoms and recover at home.”
Those at the greatest risk of health complications are (1) over the age of 65, (2) those with underlying health issues, and (3) those with underlying health issues.
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
Dozens of families living in Neepawa decided to light up their homes this past weekend to shine some light and bring a positive to the current situation of COVID-19.
About 50 homes put their Christmas lights back on which led to some busy streets for people who wanted to tour Neepawa and see some beautiful sights.
Darryl Gerrard is a councillor in Neepawa and he had the thought last week of turning this unfortunate situation into a positive.
On Thursday, he brought up the idea of people in Neepawa turning their Christmas lights back on and less than 24 hours later, the Town of Neepawa jumped right in. That post was shared more than 80 times and over 100 comments were posted on it. The theme of the post was "Time to switch on Neepawa". From there, the rest is history as the town was lit up for everyone to see.
"There are a lot of residents here that want to go above and beyond," said Gerrard. "We understand so many people are under a lot of stress right now and we wanted to give people something to be happy about."
One of the best displays was just south of town where Tom Kruzer's display was in full force and it certainly was one that garnered a ton of interest.
"Tom's display is always one that people love seeing, many people go out of their way to check it out," continued Gerrard.
Not only is Darryl a city councillor, but he also lives in the Town of Neepawa. It's during a time like this when residents step up that makes him so truly happy to call himself a member of the community.
"Absolutely. There is so much fear out there, but our community is just putting their head down and focusing on the good things," concluded Gerrard. "They want to make the new normal as enjoyable as possible. I'm so thrilled with how the residents replied to this, it's truly incredible."
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
