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Newly released data suggests that children, compared to adults, are much less likely to develop serious cases of COVID-19.
The ongoing research by the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program may help ease some of the fears parents have about kids getting back into the classroom.
Numbers from the Public Health Agency of Canada show 1.4% of kids and teenagers were hospitalized with the virus — compared to 13.5% of cases for all ages being treated in hospital.
Researchers point out these statistics are from when most schools were closed, and that going forward, health officials will have to watch what happens now as students get back into the classroom.
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- Contributed by 730 CKDM
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Manitoba is now 1,428 thanks to the 18 new cases announced by public health officials.
11 of the new cases are in Winnipeg, while 3 are from the Southern Health region, 2 are from the Interlake-Eastern region, 1 is from PMH and 1 is in the Northern region.
There aren't any active cases in Dauphin, all 7 total cases have recovered.
239 cases are considered active and 1,173 people have recovered.
There are 15 people in hospital with 3 in intensive care and 16 people have died due to COVID-19.
Public health officials strongly encourage all Manitobans to return to the fundamentals to help stop the spread of COVID-19. This means staying home if you are sick, washing/sanitizing your hands, covering your cough and physically distancing when you are with people outside your household. If you cannot physically distance, wear a mask.
Unless recommended by public health, only individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should go for testing. Individuals with symptoms are asked to seek testing as soon as possible once symptoms are present.
For more information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, go to www.manitoba.ca/COVID19.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Some ongoing road work on Highway 19 in Riding Mountian National Park will be affecting traffic this week.
Parks Canada says they're discouraging visitors from travelling on Highway 19 — from Lake Katherine to Rolling River Road — due to ongoing construction work.
This stretch of highway will close for travel from Monday (Sept. 14) to Thursday (Sept. 17) and will reopen on Friday (Sept. 18) for four days.
Another potential closure is planned for September 22, which will be confirmed as the work progresses.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
In Saturday’s update from Manitoba health officials, 17 new cases were identified and the number of active cases in the province continued to drop.
Two of the new cases are in Prairie Mountain Health, and none are in the Dauphin health district.
Manitoba now has 238 active cases; down from the 287 active cases reported a day earlier.
1,156 people are listed as recovered and there have been 16 deaths in Manitoba due to COVID-19. There are 13 people in hospital and four people in intensive care.
First Cases Reported On Manitoba First Nations
The first cases of COVID-19 on Manitoba First Nations were reported this week.
Two people tested positive in Peguis First Nation, according to a statement released Friday evening from Peguis Public Health and the First Nation’s leadership.
The statement says Peguis Public Health is doing contact tracing and plans to notify anyone in the community who will need to self-isolate.
Earlier on Friday, Fisher River Cree Nation announced one of its members had also received a positive COVID-19 test result.
2nd Manitoba School Reports COVID Case
Public health officials are advising of a possible exposure at Ecole New Era School at 527 Louise Ave. in Brandon on Friday, Sept. 11 from 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The individual attended school for a limited time while asymptomatic. The public health investigation indicates that transmission was not acquired at school. The school and cohort are being notified.
The province says additional cleaning of high-touch areas is being undertaken out of an abundance of caution. The risk is deemed low as physical distancing was maintained while at school and a mask was worn.
There are no close contacts connected to the case and public health officials have not advised anyone to self-isolate. Others who were at the site not need to self-isolate, but should self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19.
The site is not being elevated on the Pandemic Response System, given the low risk and lack of close contacts.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Police seized two loaded shotguns from a home on Sandy Bay First Nation earlier this week, and a man from Brandon is facing multiple firearms charges.
Manitoba First Nation Police (MFNPS) responded to reports of a man trying to shoot someone in Sandy Bay First Nation.
On Tuesday, September 8th at around 12:30 a.m., officers received a report of gunshots at a house, and that the suspect was inside.
Police arrested 4 males that were inside the house, and a 23-year-old man from Brandon has been charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm and unsafe storage of a firearm.
He will appear in court at a later date.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
Three teenagers were arrested and one is facing weapons-related offences after an airsoft handgun was pointed at a 70-year-old woman in Dauphin.
On Thursday, September 10, Dauphin RCMP responded to a complaint of a teenager armed with a handgun running on the street near Whitmore School.
RCMP initiated a hold and secure lockdown at the school while police searched for the suspect. The suspect was not located, but RCMP and school administrators eventually conducted a safe dismissal of students and staff.
Later that afternoon, police received another complaint of a group of three teenaged males who pointed a handgun at a 70-year-old woman on Third Street SW in Dauphin and then laughed at the woman before walking away.
Police located the three teenagers and eventually arrested the individual with the gun without injury.
Police say a replica airsoft handgun and knife were located on the 15-year-old.
The other two 13-year-old males were arrested and later released.
The 15-year-old male has since been released on an undertaking and will appear in Youth Court on November 23rd, 2020 on weapons-related offences.
Sgt. Paddock of the Dauphin RCMP says "it is almost impossible for police or the public to see if a replicable firearm like this one is real and capable of causing serious injury or death. I would like to thank the school staff and the officers who responded for their professionalism in safely de-escalating and resolving this situation.”
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Dauphin’s Deputy Mayor Kerri Riehl is running for a position on the Executive Board of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM).
Riehl tells CKDM she was nominated after a discussion with some other city staff members.
“When I put my name forward for city council I vowed to do the best that I could — and that would mean to be engaged and dedicated as much as I could for the people. I don’t believe in sitting idle, so I put my name forward to run for the board,” said Riehl.
Dauphin has historically not had anybody on the AMM Executive Board, according to Riehl.
“I’m new to council, but I believe that knowledge is power and in order to be a more effective leader I believe that I can help out being on the AMM Executive Board,” said Riehl.
The Association of Manitoba Municipalities is made up of representatives from 137 incorporated municipalities across Manitoba — aiming to address concerns and achieve effective municipal government.
Nominations for the AMM Executive Board have to be in by November 2. Advance voting is on November 16 — and November 23 is the final candidate speeches and voting.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
A recent graduate of the DRCSS has been awarded a $2,500 scholarship from 4-H Canada.
Oksana Iwanchysko has just started her studies of Agriculture, Animal System Specialization at the University of Saskatchewan — and says receiving the 2020 TD 4-H Agriculture Scholarship means a lot.
“Being rewarded for my hard work over the last few years … is really amazing because it helps relieve some of that financial stress associated with post-secondary and I can see that my work isn’t going unnoticed — it’s just amazing.”
Oksana tells CKDM reporters she gives a lot of credit to her parents for always pushing her to follow her passion.
“I always knew that I wanted to go into agriculture as my undergrad degree. A lot of that came from going on field tours, and going to conferences with my mom who works for Manitoba Agriculture. It’s where I found my passion, and something I really want to do,” she said.
For more information on the 2020 TD 4-H Agriculture Scholarship, click here.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
The province has gained 15 new cases of COVID-19 today.
Manitoba now has 1,393 cases.
Four of today’s cases are in Prairie Mountain Health; none are in Dauphin’s health district.
There are now 287 active cases, 12 people are in hospital, and 4 in intensive care. The number of deaths remains at 16.
Public health officials are advising of potential exposure on Sept. 1 at the GRMC Vision Centre in Brandon, between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. The exposure risk is considered low at this time.
For more information about COVID-19, click here.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
Disaster financial assistance (DFA) will be provided for three high water/weather-related events that occurred earlier in the year.
$29.4 million has been set aside for the heavy rain that happened between June 28th and July 5th in western and southern Manitoba. The heavy precipitation was a one in 1,000-year rain that impacted Minnedosa, Rapid City, and Rivers, even resulting in the province losing confidence in the dam near Rivers. Evacuation recommendations were given to municipalities for a limited number of properties as a precaution.
DFA programs provide provincial assistance for certain disaster-related losses when a widespread natural disaster strikes and creates an unreasonable financial burden. Assistance is generally provided for recovery needs of local governments, occupied private residential properties, farms, small business and some not-for-profit organizations.
The two other events that the DFA will be provided for are $3.7 million for the high water situation in the Red River Valley for spring 2020 and $2 million for the heavy rain from June 6-10 in the southeast area of Manitoba.
The DFA application deadline for local authorities and those in the private sector is December 10th.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Lifeflight’s air ambulance services will be given to STARS starting in December.
Shared Health CEO Brock Wright made the announcement yesterday saying Shared Health is expanding its partnership with STARS as a part of sustained efforts to provide reliable, high-quality Lifeflight services for Manitobans.
“Critical care medical air services are relied upon by rural and northern health care providers and Manitoba patients in need of specialized and emergency medical care, which often requires air ambulance transport to larger health centres in Winnipeg. Reliability of this life-saving service on a 24/7 basis has been – and remains — a top priority.”
For the past two years, critical care medical air services have been provided by a combination of Shared Health, Lifeflight, and STARS. STARS also has partnered with Shared Health to ensure the availability of fixed-wing services during periods of staffing vacancy or unfilled shift coverage.
In July 2018, the province issued a request for proposals to privatize the LIfelight services. That created a situation where some Lifeflight staff threatened to quit or last year, where some Lifeflight doctors refused to board the privatized planes due to safety concerns.
STARS will assume the responsibilities no sooner than December 10th, 2020, but until then, Lifeflight staff and physicians will continue to provide the service to ensure a safe transition with no negative impacts on patient care.
Oversight for quality, patient safety, financials and other service areas will be the responsibility of a joint operations committee made up of Shared Health and STARS clinical and administrative leads. The agreement is in place until March 2022.
Access to the service won’t change. STARS will use both helicopters and airplanes for the transport of adult patients. Shared Health staff will continue to perform pediatric and neonatal transports as well as out of province transports.
Affected staff and their unions have been informed of the operational decision. Details of a labour adjustment will be worked out with the respective unions in the weeks ahead, with opportunities to be provided to all affected staff.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
