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A local company is stepping up to help small Parkland businesses that were forced to close their doors – while giving you a chance to win a $100 gift certificate.

Starting Thursday, November 26th, John’s Electric Ltd. will be giving away $600 in gift certificates to be spent at local businesses.

Nicole Gulenchin, Office Manager at John’s Electric explains how the promotion works.

“What will happen is every week for 5 weeks starting next Thursday, we are going to randomly draw a name, and that winner can choose the place they’d like the gift certificate to.”

To be entered into all of the draws: like the post on the John’s Electric Ltd. Facebook page, share it and comment your favourite local Parkland business.

Starting Nov. 26, the draws will be held Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. The winners will be chosen at random. 

Gulenchin adds that the promotion was inspired by Rob Smith & Son Backhoe & Trucking Ltd. in Neepawa. An extra $100 was contributed by LEE Electrical Engineering.

Manitoba health officials are reporting 11 more deaths and 400 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.

A woman in her 80s from the Prairie Mountain Health region is one of the eleven deaths announced today. A full breakdown of the most recent Manitobans to die after contracting COVID-19 is located towards the bottom of this article.

A death has been recorded in the Dauphin health district.

Screen Shot 2020 11 18 at 1.09.01 PM
Picture of the Dauphin health district | Provided by the Government of Manitoba

There are 7,385 active cases and 4,432 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. There are 249 people in hospital with 40 people in intensive care

The number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 190.

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 14.2 per cent provincially and 13.8 per cent in Winnipeg.

The total of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba is now 12,007.

Today’s data shows:
• 20 cases in the Interlake-Eastern health region;
• 40 cases in the Northern health region;
• eight cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region;
• 93 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and
• 239 cases in the Winnipeg health region.

The Dauphin health district now has 4 active cases, and 14 total cases (1 death, 9 recovered).

The following Parkland health districts have active cases: Dauphin (4, down from 5), Riding Mountain (12), Swan River (9), Porcupine Mountain (6), Duck Mountain (3), Asessippi (10), Little Saskatchewan (10), Whitemud (21), and Agassiz Mountain (1).

In the Interlake, the Eriksdale/Ashern health district has 77 active cases. The Fisher/Peguis health district has 143 cases.

 

Update on Parkland Care Home Outbreaks

As of November 18th, the province’s data on Parkland PCH outbreaks include:

The Gilbert Plains Personal Care Home has a total of 11 reported cases — 2 are staff members and 9 cases are among residents.

The province has reported one case at the Grandview Personal Care home (staff member).

There has been one case reported at the Winnipegosis PCH (staff member).

There have been 0 reported cases at the Swan Valley Lodge Personal Care Home, but an outbreak was declared due to the cases reported at the adjacent Swan Valley Health Centre in Swan River. As of Nov. 17, the outbreak at the hospital had resulted in infections for 6 staff members, and 5 “non-staff” infections.


A specific fine of $298 is being put in place for not wearing a mask in public places, which is required under the current public health orders. Enforcement officials can issue this fine. 

The chief provincial public health officer urges Manitobans to only leave their homes for essential purposes.

Public health officials advise 11 additional deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported today that include: 
• a female in her 50s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
• a male in his 60s from the Winnipeg health region;
• a male in his 70s from the Interlake–Eastern health region;  
• a male in his 70s from the Interlake–Eastern health region; 
• a male in his 80s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; 
• a male in his 80s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
• a male in his 80s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at the Golden Links Lodge; 
• a male in his 80s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at the Golden Links Lodge;
• a female in her 80s from the Prairie Mountain Health region;
• a male in his 90s from the Winnipeg health region; and
• a female in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at the Golden Links Lodge. 

The City of Dauphin has made upgrades to the Residential Recycling Depot on 1st Ave. SE.

Video surveillance, lighting, and fencing have been installed to ensure the proper and safe use of the depot.

The City is reminding residents and business owners the depot is for residential recycling use only and the site will be regularly monitored to ensure it’s being used appropriately.

Misuse of the site may result in fines.

Click here for a list of what can and can’t be recycled.

Commercial businesses are to dispose of their recycling through a recycling contractor or the commercial recycling bins at the Waste Disposal Site.

The Mountain View School Division (MVSD) is reporting a confirmed case at Ethelbert School.

Public Health officials advise the individual was at the school on November 10, 12 and 13 — and it’s believed the case was not acquired there.

Anyone who is a close contact has been contacted directly by Public Health and advised to self-isolate. 

Public Health will be issuing a letter to Ethelbert families on November 18.

A release from the MVSD says the school is following Division procedures for a positive COVID-19 case, including additional cleaning and disinfecting protocols.

The MVSD says any questions can be directed to school administration at 204-742-3265.

On Sunday afternoon, the Division also reported a confirmed case at MacKenzie Middle School in Dauphin.

Pfizer and BioNTech have released an update on their COVID-19 vaccine, saying it’s now 95% effective and doesn’t have any serious side effects.

The vaccine will be submitted for regulatory approval within days.

The companies are expecting to produce 50 million doses of the vaccine by the end of the year, and 1.3 billion by the end of 2021.

The phase 3 data shows the vaccine is consistently effective across age, gender, race, and ethnicity demographics.

The announcement comes just a week after Pfizer first revealed their preliminary results and days after Moderna announced their vaccine is 94.5% effective.

Premier Brian Pallister confirmed on Tuesday the province is considering extending Christmas break for Manitoba school children.

A possible two-week extension — the duration of one incubation period — would cover the amount of time in which someone who contracted COVID-19 may spread it to someone else.

Dr. Brent Roussin says a Christmas break extension could help prevent COVID cases acquired over the holidays from entering Manitoba schools.

As it stands, Manitoba’s public schools are on holiday from Dec. 19 to Jan. 3.

Manitoba joins several other provinces — including Ontario, B.C., and Quebec — who are also considering a Christmas holiday extension for school children.

A man and a woman are facing drug trafficking charges after a bust in Dauphin over the weekend.

On Saturday, November 14, RCMP executed a search warrant at a home on 5th Avenue SE in Dauphin.

Police located 12 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 15 grams of cocaine, a large quantity of unknown pills, cannabis, cash, a machete and drug paraphernalia.

Four adults were arrested.

22-year-old Caitlin Richard has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine, Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Methamphetamine and Fail to Comply x2. She was also wanted on an outstanding warrant and was remanded into custody.

A 30-year-old man from Dauphin is facing charges of Possession of Methamphetamine and Fail to Comply, he was released with an upcoming court date of February 9, 2021.

The other two adults were released with no charges.

Health officials reported 7 more deaths and 270 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.

Another active case in the Dauphin health district has been added. More on that below.

The seven additional deaths due to COVID-19 reported today include: 

• a female in her 30s from the Interlake–Eastern region;
• a female in her 70s from the Winnipeg health region;
• a male in his 70s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at Victoria General Hospital; 
• a male in his 80s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
• a male in his 80s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
• a female in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre; and 
• a female in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre.

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 13.6 percent provincially and 13.3 percent in Winnipeg.

The total of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 11,608.

There are 7,105 active cases and 4,324 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. There are 240 people in hospital with 41 people in intensive care.

The number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 179.

Today’s data shows:
• 21 cases in the Interlake–Eastern health region;
• 16 cases in the Northern health region;
• eight cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region;
• 106 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and
• 119 cases in the Winnipeg health region.


Outbreak Declared At Winnipegosis Care Home

Outbreaks were declared on Tuesday at several Manitoba care homes — including the Winnipegosis Personal Care Home in Winnipegosis. 

No other details about this outbreak have been provided by the province at this time.

The sites have been moved to Critical (red) on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System.


Active Cases In The Parkland Area

The following Parkland health districts have active cases: Dauphin (5), Riding Mountain (11), Swan River (9), Porcupine Mountain (5), Duck Mountain (2), Asessippi (10), Little Saskatchewan (10), Whitemud (21), and Agassiz Mountain (1).

In the Interlake, the Eriksdale/Ashern health district has 79 active cases. The Fisher/Peguis health district has 146 cases.

Manitoba RCMP issued fines for COVID-related offences on 8 occasions between the period of Nov. 2 to 13.

RCMP say they received 253 calls related to COVID-19 in that timeframe.

The following fines were issued for Failing to Comply with a Provincial Emergency Order, under the Public Health Act:

  • November 4, Cross Lake RCMP fined an adult male who was not self-isolating as directed 
  • November 7, Cross Lake RCMP fined a Winnipeg teenager for travelling to northern Manitoba 
  • November 7, The Pas RCMP fined an adult male who was not self-isolating as directed
  • November 8, Cross Lake RCMP fined an adult male who was not self-isolating as directed 
  • November 12, Fisher Branch RCMP fined an adult male who was not self-isolating as directed
  • November 13, St-Pierre-Jolys RCMP issued a fine to an adult female for having more than 5 people at her residence
  • November 13, Peguis RCMP fined two adult females who were not self-isolating as directed

Manitobans living outside of Winnipeg are reminded not to call 911 for COVID-19 related issues. Reports of non-compliance can be made to the Manitoba Government Inquiry line at 1-866-626-4862.

The fine for individuals violating public health orders is $1,296.

To bolster the enforcement of the public health orders, the provincial government is hiring a private security firm to help the provincial employees enforce the restrictions.

Premier Brian Pallister says over 90 people from G4S Canada will be deployed in the province.

Pallister demands Manitobans to get on the team and follow the restrictions.

"For Heaven's sakes, stop playing the edges of the game here. Stop gaming the system, do what Dr Roussin is recommending. Do that and be sure you help bend the COVID curve down. That's how we do this together, and we have to do this together."

Pallister wouldn't say where the G4S personnel would be deployed because he doesn't want Manitobans to know "where the photo radar unit is going to be located to help you drive faster somewhere else." 

A security perimeter has been set up around Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve to monitor vehicles coming in and out of the community, to help control the spread of COVID-19

Tootinaowaziibeeng leadership are asking community members to limit travel to essential purposes only during Manitoba’s Code Red — and are condoning travel only for things like employment, medical appointments, pharmacy pickup, and grocery shopping. 

A community perimeter has been set up at the south, west and east entrances, and security will be monitoring vehicles leaving and entering the community of Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve.

Anyone entering the community will have to comply with mandatory temperature testing and screening.

If a non-resident’s temperature is 38°C or above, they will be refused entry. 

If a resident’s temperature is 38°C or above, they are advised to go for COVID testing and must self-isolate for 14 days or until they are symptom-free for 48 hours.

Only residents will be granted entry after 10 p.m. (except for residents who work off-reserve).

Non-band members are permitted entry into the community at this time, but must comply with the temperature testing.

Prairie Mountain Health is opening more respiratory clinics in the region.

The clinics — staffed by a physician, respiratory therapist, and a nurse — are for patients who have experienced respiratory symptoms lasting two weeks or less (such as sore throat, runny nose, earache, cough and congestion) who feel they need to be seen by a physician, but do not require emergency care. 


Swan River
The Respiratory Clinic at the Swan Valley Primary Care Centre in Swan River is now open by appointment.

Those wanting to attend can call 204-734-6600 to book an appointment. 

Anyone greater than two years of age experiencing respiratory symptoms, including those who are COVID positive, can attend without a referral. 

The clinic is open from Mondays and Thursdays from 3-5 p.m. It is not a walk-in clinic.

COVID-19 testing will be part of the assessment. This clinic will not provide prescription refills or the flu shot. 


Dauphin
Dauphin’s respiratory clinic is set to open Monday, November 23 at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre.

It will be located in the former temporary emergency department area — and clinic access is only through the front hospital entrance off of 625 Third St SW.

Starting Friday, November 20, those wanting to attend can call 204-622-4194 to book an appointment.

The entrance door to get inside the hospital will be locked, so please ring the doorbell upon arrival. The hours are 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday

If you are unsure where to seek medical care, please call Health Links/Info Santé at 1-888-315- 9257. 

There is also a respiratory clinic at the Brandon Regional Health Centre, Nurses Residence Gym.