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Two staff members at a potato processing facility in Portage la Prairie have tested positive for COVID-19.
On Monday, J.R. Simplot Company learned of one worker that tested positive.
Following that, a dozen staff members that were in close contact with the worker got tested.
Those tests resulted in an additional positive case.
As of yesterday afternoon, the company was waiting for the results of two more tests.
As a result of the second positive case, 14 employees are self-isolating.
The company says the area the first employee worked has been deep cleaned and the plant hasn’t been shut down.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Friday, August 21 Update:
The heat warning has ended for the Parkland region.
After multiple days of 30+ temperatures and overnight lows of 17 degrees, the weather looks to cool off slightly heading into the weekend.
Highs of 24, 26, and 27 are forecasted for today and the weekend.
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Environment Canada has issued a heat warning for Dauphin and many other areas in the Parkland.
Temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celsius combined with overnight lows near 17 degrees Celsius are expected for the next 2 days.
The hot weather is tracking eastward from Saskatchewan and will affect southern Manitoba over the next couple of days.
Environment Canada advises the public to watch for the effects of heat illness: swelling, rash, cramps, fainting, heat exhaustion, heatstroke and the worsening of some health conditions.
They say outdoor workers should take regularly scheduled breaks in a cool place, and to never leave people or pets inside a parked vehicle.
The Heat 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
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- Contributed by 730 CKDM
A fatal vehicle collision is being investigated in Portage la Prairie, after an SUV was struck by a train on August 20th.
At around 12:10 p.m., RCMP responded to the accident, and investigators say the SUV was travelling south on Road 52 West, when it was hit by a train travelling east.
The driver of the vehicle, a 71-year-old man from Bagot was pronounced dead on the scene.
RCMP continue to investigate.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
The search is over for the murder suspect accused of fatally stabbing a man in Dauphin on Saturday, August 15th.
23-year-old Nicholas Ryan-McKinnon was found by Whitehorse RCMP, and has been arrested.
He’s been charged with 2nd-degree murder and aggravated assault.
On August 15th, at around 3:40 a.m., Dauphin RCMP responded to a stabbing at a home on 7th Ave. SE, where they found a 32-year-old man who had died from stab wounds.
An 18-year-old man was also injured, and was taken to hospital but was released.
RCMP are thanking the public for their assistance.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
The federal Liberals have released details about their plan to help Canadians who've lost their job as a result of the pandemic.
They released a plan today to outline what will happen to approximately 4 million workers currently receiving the $500 per week Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
The feds are rolling out a $37-billion income-support plan -- part of which will see the CERB extended another 4 weeks, along with a new benefit that pays $400 a week for up to 26 weeks for those who are ineligible for EI.
A $500-a-week sickness/caregiving benefit will also be introduced to assist anyone who has to stay home because they're ill.
The new benefits announced today are expected to cost $22 billion, and are set to be brought in through legislation once the House of Commons returns.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
A day after the province introduced the new colour coded COVID response system, they have elevated the entire Prairie Mountain Health region to the “orange” risk category.
This means public health will be reintroducing some restrictions effective Monday, which includes:
- Group size will be reduced to 10 individuals for both indoor and outdoor settings
- Masks will be made mandatory for indoor public places, as well as any public gatherings
- Additional measures to be announced
Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, explains the blanket restrictions for the entire Prairie Mountain Health region is a response to an increasing number of clusters, high positivity rate, and reports of large gatherings.
Which places are affected by the new measures?
Dr. Roussin says the 10 person limit on indoor & outdoor gatherings applies to events like weddings, funerals, and family get-togethers.
It doesn’t apply to workplaces, and retail places — or any other establishment that already has specific public health orders outlines. Guidelines and limits for religious ceremonies will be unaffected by Monday’s new measures.
The province's top doctor says this could affect return to schools next month.
How long will these measures be in place?
Roussin explains there is a 14 incubation period for this virus, so any measures implemented will take some time to cause a drop in case numbers.
He expects orders like these to “definitely be in place for a minimum of a single incubation period (14 days) — much more likely at least two incubation periods or longer, depending on the response we see.”
“This virus is spread from close prolonged contact, so we need to increase that level of restriction right now before things get out of hand,” says Dr. Roussin.
This comes today as the province added 33 new cases of COVID-19 — seventeen of which are in the PMH region.
None of today’s new cases are in the Dauphin health district, where there continues to be a total of 7 cases, two of which are active.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
The Harvest Sun Music Festival is taking their yearly summer event online in response to COVID-19.
The ‘From Our Backyard To Yours’ music event is being live-streamed this Saturday, and Director of the Harvest Sun Festival, Nadia Kuhl, explains how the online event works.
“What we’ve done is we’ve gotten all of the artists to send in their projects and we’re compiling them into a single presentation that you’ll be able to watch at your leisure. It will be posted at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday the 22nd and you’ll be able to make your way through it, see a lot of familiar faces, and hear some good music.”
The event will feature artists like Al Simmons, Scott Nolan, The Black River Drifters, and many more.
You can also participate in their online ‘passing of the hat’, and donate money to help support the artists.
To watch the live-streamed festival, visit theharvestsun.com.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
The province has gained 33 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing Manitoba’s total to 796.
The province announced this afternoon that the entire Prairie Mountain Health region will be facing some tightened public health restriction, effective as of Monday. Get full details here.
17 of the new cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health region. None of today’s cases are in Dauphin.
Health officials are advising of two potential exposures of the virus. The first exposure was on August 8th at Manipogo Provincial Park, and the second was also on August 8th at a Crocus Soccer field in Brandon.
The risk of transmission is considered low, and information is being provided to help people assess their risk and seek testing if symptoms appear.
Manitoba now has 247 active cases and 537 people have recovered.
No new deaths have been recorded in the province as the total remains at 12.
For more information, click here.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
A family from Pinaymootang First Nation has been awarded $42,500.
A human rights adjudicator in Manitoba has ordered the provincial government to pay them for failing to provide adequate healthcare services for a 16-year-old.
The adjudicator attributes the lack of service to discrimination based on ancestry and disability.
Alfred “Dewey” Pruden experiences a variety of intellectual, cognitive, and physical disabilities and his mother filed a complaint that they were discriminated against in the health care they received from the province.
The Manitoba government denied Pruden some health care services on the grounds Ottawa is responsible for health care in First Nations communities.
At the age of 4, Dewey underwent brain surgery to address his seizures, but following the surgery, he developed new problems. He lost the ability to speak, glaucoma leading to vision loss, and impaired motor skills.
Dewey and his mother were seeking $100,000 each for injury to their dignity, feelings, and self-respect, but the adjudicator awarded $30,000 to Dewey and $12,500 for his mother.
The province has 45 days to pay them.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
A temporary water shutoff in Ethelbert is expected later this evening.
Residents will be without water for a few minutes at around 6:00 p.m.
Staff with the municipality say the shutoff is needed while repairs take place.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) has now restored its online services, after being offline since Monday due to a series of cyberattacks.
On Monday, online services were disabled after hackers used thousands of stolen accounts to access government services. More than 5,000 accounts had been targeted in 3 separate attacks.
The CRA has updated its security systems to protect accounts from future attacks.
All victims of the attack will receive a letter from the CRA with steps on how to confirm their identity and restore access to their account.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
