NewsNow
Manitoba has announced they have made a deal with a Winnipeg-based lab to help with the current COVID-19 testing backlog. This deal could help Manitoba increase its testing capacity by up to 30% by completing an additional 1000 tests a day.
The province has been struggling to keep up with testing demands as case numbers rise due to the Omicron Variant. The current testing backlog is at more than 12,500 tests.
- Details
- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Manitoba will now be offering a fourth dose of the COVID-19 MRNA Vaccine to people who are immunocompromised. As is the case with the third booster dose, it is suggested that there be at least 6 months between doses.
People who are moderate to severely immunocompromised due to a medical condition and/or treatment include those who:
- Are receiving active chemotherapy (or immunotherapy) for cancer
- Have received a solid organ transplant and are currently receiving chemotherapy or other immunosuppressive therapy
- Were born with moderate or severe dysfunction of their immune system
- Are living with untreated or advanced HIV-AIDS
- Are taking certain medications that severely affect the immune system.
The following people should talk to their doctor about the risks and benefits of an additional dose:
- Receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis
- On the list to receive a solid organ transplant
- Have a ventricular assist device.
- Details
- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Manitoba Ag Days show in 2022 has been postponed due to the new public health restrictions that came into effect yesterday. The show was set to take place January 18-20 at Keystone Centre in Brandon.
The new public health restrictions limit public indoor gatherings to 50% or 250 people, whichever is less. Ag Days management team is working with the Keystone Centre to find a date that works for the event. More updates will be given as they come.
- Details
- Contributed by Sam Brownell
At approximately 6 pm on Tuesday evening, Dauphin Fire was dispatched to a structure fire several miles northwest of the City.
Upon arrival, firefighters found a two-car garage fully engulfed in flames.
Crews set up their lines and started to protect a car that was parked in front of the garage before beginning to extinguish the main body of the fire.
The fire was accidental in nature after it was determined to have been caused by a heat lamp that was located in a lean-to built on the side of the garage.
There were no injuries as a result of the fire and no estimate on the cost of damages was given at this time.
- Details
- Contributed by Eric Fawx
Environment Canada has issued dozens of extreme cold weather warnings across the western provinces including right here in Dauphin and the surrounding area with wind-chilled temperatures hitting as low as minus 55 degrees Celsius in some areas over the next few days.
The bone-chilling cold has gripped all of Alberta, most of British Columbia and Saskatchewan, and even parts of here in Manitoba along with Ontario.
It appears there is no relief in sight however as the weather agency says the extreme cold could persist into the new year next week.
The wind chill over the next few days here in Dauphin could reach minus 46 or colder in the mornings with a risk of frostbite in just a few minutes.
Environment Canada also says to make sure to dress in layers and make sure the outer layer is wind resistant to help cut down the cold wind. If you have to work outside they recommend you take regular breaks to warm up.
If it is too cold out for you then it Is also too cold for your pets so make sure they stay indoors where it is warm as much as possible.
The full list of extreme cold warnings in the province can be found here.
- Details
- Contributed by Eric Fawx
This afternoon the Manitoba Provincial government announced they are updating their health orders when it comes to public gatherings across the province which will affect capacity limits at locations where all attendees are fully vaccinated, have a medical reason not to receive a vaccine or people are under 12 years of age.
Premier Heather Stefanson and Manitoba’s Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced the newly edited restrictions to help reduce the spread of the Omicron Variant of Covid-19.
The newly released restrictions mean gatherings must not exceed 50 percent of the usual capacity of the space, or 250 people, whichever is less. This includes:
- indoor and outdoor public gatherings.
- restaurants, licensed premises, food courts, and socials.
- movie theatre and concert halls.
- performing arts venues and outdoor ticketed performing arts events.
- museums and art galleries.
- outdoor and indoor sporting and recreational facilities including dance schools and martial arts studios.
- gyms, fitness centers, and yoga studios.
- indoor and outdoor ticketed sporting events.
- indoor recreational businesses.
- seasonal facilities and events.
- religious services and Indigenous cultural events; and
- bingos, casinos, and businesses with VLTs.
In addition to the restrictions, liquor sales in restaurants and licensed premises must end at 10 p.m. daily.
All these changes will come into effect on Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 12:01 a.m. and will expire on Jan. 11, 2022.
Dr. Roussin also gave an update on the testing backlog which is now at 11,500.
- Details
- Contributed by Eric Fawx
The province of Manitoba has made the decision to make the take-home self-administered Covid-19 rapid tests available at testing sites across the province as well as for vulnerable people.
Health Minister Audrey Gordon said in a release on Monday that the type of tests given out at the testing sites will be based on vaccination status.
The rapid tests will be available at some testing sites in Winnipeg and one in Selkirk to start but will be rolled out across the province in the near future.
If you are fully vaccinated and symptomatic you will be given a take-home rapid test but may also be selected randomly for a PCR test on-site.
Those that are symptomatic and unvaccinated will have the regular PCR test administered on-site while asymptomatic, high risk and unvaccinated may receive a take-home rapid test as well along with further treatment being possible.
This decision comes after the testing backlog in the province has reached over 10,000 in Manitoba and the expected wait time for results may be over 4 days with the backlog currently.
- Details
- Contributed by Eric Fawx
The Public Health Agency of Canada is investigating a salmonella outbreak in Western Canada and have determined sickness has been reported in 84 people to date.
The outbreak is linked to Alasko brand frozen whole kernel corn as well as Fraser Valley Meats brand frozen whole kernel corn. Both of these brands have been recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
People have reported getting ill in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Of the illnesses 12 of those have been in Manitoba while 4 were in Saskatchewan, 2 were in Ontario, 30 in Alberta and 36 in B.C.
The illnesses reported in Ontario however are related to travel to Alberta and B-C.
The Agency says people should not use, eat, sell or serve any of these recalled products.
- Details
- Contributed by Eric Fawx
Manitoba Hydro will increase its rates by 3.6% starting January 1, 2022. Hydro was seeking a 5% increase but the Public Utilities Board, which oversees Utilities in the province, declined the rate.
Hydro applied for the rate increase in November to offset their losses that were caused by the drought and low water levels. According to Manitoba Hydro's CEO, the low water level meant Manitoba Hydro couldn't produce a surplus of energy to sell in markets outside of Manitoba.
- Details
- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Manitoba has reached its COVID testing capacity with near-record-setting case counts being reported daily.
The province says there's a backlog of more than 10,000 tests that need to be processed which means that the amount of cases reported yesterday is likely much lower than the real number of active cases.
The province says the current turnaround time is four days or more for test results and says you should only go to a testing site if you have COVID, cold, or flu-like symptoms.
- Details
- Contributed by Eric Fawx
UPDATE: The Brandon University senate has voted in favor of delaying the start of the Winter Term by an overwhelming majority. The delay will allow both students and faculty to prepare for remote learning for at least the first month of the term.
The start of term schedule will now be:
- University opens as scheduled on Tuesday, January 4.
- New Student Orientation will be held virtually Tuesday, January 11.
- The first day for most classes will be Wednesday, January 12.
- Classes will be mostly online until the end of January.
A full updated list of important dates for this term can be found here.
----------------------------
Brandon University has asked their Senate to approve a delayed start to the Winter Term which was supposed to begin January 4, 2022. The University has also announced it will be moving to primarily remote learning until the end of January at the earliest.
If the delay is approved by the BU Senate, the school would still open as scheduled on January 4th, but classes would not start until the week after. The purpose of the delayed start is to help faculty make the shift to remote learning.
The BU Senate controls the academic calendar for the school and is expected to meet as soon as possible. Details will be shared with the BU community once the decision has been made.
Brandon University follows the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg in their decisions to start the Winter Term remotely and reevaluate mid-January, once they have a better idea of the situation.
- Details
- Contributed by Sam Brownell
