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The potential for tornadoes was there yesterday afternoon and into the early evening.
From about 4-8 pm yesterday tornado watches were issued across southwestern Manitoba.
A tornado watch was in effect for Dauphin, Gilbert Plains, Grandview, Winnipegosis, and Wasagaming for a couple of hours, but the real potential for danger was with a storm near Roblin.
At 6:21 and lasting a little over an hour, Environment Canada issued a tornado warning in the Roblin area.
The storm, however, only brought a torrential downpour and no tornadoes were reported.
For the rest of the week, the forecast isn’t calling for any thunderstorms, but we could see some rain.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Some First Nations leaders in Manitoba are hoping to see the reinstatement of travel restrictions to the province’s northern communities.
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) and Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) called for the province’s top health officials to reintroduce the travel restrictions that prevented Manitobans from travelling north of the 53rd parallel.
That travel restriction ended on June 26.
MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee says the call to reinstate the northern travel restriction is a proactive measure to minimize the spread of COVID-19, pointing out that northern communities’ access to primary health care “is not comparable to our neighbours in the south.”
The Fox Lake Cree Nation near Gillam went into lockdown following a positive COVID-19 test result in their community — making it the first positive test result in Northern Manitoba since April 6.
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- Contributed by 730 CKDM
UPDATE | At 6:41 p.m., the tornado warning for the Roblin area has been downgraded to a tornado watch.
A severe thunderstorm warning remains in effect for the area.
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UPDATE | At 6:21 p.m. Environment Canada issued a tornado warning for Roblin, including Makaroff Shortdale and Bield.
Meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm that is possibly producing a tornado. Damaging winds, large hail and locally intense rainfall are also possible.
Doppler RADAR indicates rotation on a severe thunderstorm located 15 km southwest of Togo, SK, tracking to the southeast at 30 km/h.
The weather authority says this thunderstorm is possibly producing a tornado or may produce a tornado at any moment.
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4:05 p.m. | A tornado watch has been issued for the Virden and Souris area.
Environment Canada say scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop later this afternoon over southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba. Some of these thunderstorms may produce a tornado.
There is also a tornado watch in effect for Yorkton.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
The Selo Marketfest held in October each year has been cancelled due to COVID-19.
Treasurer of the Ukrainian Fold Art Centre and Museum, Theresa Zabiaka, says that with safety top of mind, it will be too difficult to enforce public health measures.
“Our first concern is of course safety, and just recently with the outbreak of COVID-19, we know we made the right decision. It’s just so hard to keep the distance between the vendors and the visitors. We’d also have to limit the number of people coming in and it’s just an inconvenience for everybody.”
Looking ahead, she says it’s unclear when the organizations regular events will resume.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
UPDATE | At 5:46 p.m. Environment Canada issued a tornado watch for Dauphin and the surrounding area.
Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms which may produce tornadoes.
The watch is in effect for the following areas:
- 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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A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for the Parkland.
A low-pressure system may trigger severe thunderstorms later this afternoon and evening.
The advisory is in effect for the following areas:
- 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
People in the area should be on the lookout for adverse weather conditions such as strong wind and heavy rain.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
There were 25 new cases of COVID-19 announced public health officials on Tuesday, and another death in Manitoba related to the virus.
Manitoba’s 13th COVID-related death is a woman in her 90’s from the Steinbach health district. Officials say the death is related to a known outbreak at Bethesda Place personal care home.
Of today’s 25 new cases, 10 are in the Prairie Mountain Health region. None are in the Dauphin health district, where there’s been 7 total cases — none of which are considered active.
To view a geographical breakdown of where COVID-19 cases are located, organized on health district, click here.
The province is encouraging Manitobans to return to the fundamentals to help stop the spread of COVID-19. This means not going out while you feel ill, practicing proper hand hygiene, covering your cough and physical distancing when you are with people outside your household. If you can’t physical 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 up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, click here.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
During yesterday’s COVID update, Dr Brent Roussin clarified what code orange means for us in the Prairie Mountain Health region, but it still left some questions about what the impact on schools would be.
Mountain View School Division superintendent Dan Ward says government officials told them on Friday that at this point, the level orange restrictions don’t apply to schools in the health region.
“That being said, things could change at any time and if our chief public health officer deemed that this restricted level applied to schools, we have to be prepared for that. So, we’re certainly preparing for that possibility, but at this point in time it’s not having any direct impact on our reopening plans for September.”
Ward acknowledges there’d be a significant impact on students and staff if schools were moved into level orange and remote learning would have to take place.
“There is constant communication with government officials around that possibility and whether or not the orders, if we went into orange for school, would actually result in remote learning for 9-12. But that’s a distinct possibility as stated in the pandemic response document and so we do have contingency plans to essentially go into remote learning for grades 9-12 if we were required to by public health.”
Ward adds that they’d try to provide as much in-class learning as possible for kindergarten to grade 8 students, but they’d have to look at increased social distancing measures and changes to the cohort practices.
On the topic of Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen’s Safe Schools fund announcement yesterday, Ward says they were happy to hear of the additional funding. The superintendent says they’re spending more than they typically would this time of year, to prepare for the school year.
“Everything from additional cleaning supplies to additional PPE, although the province is supplying the masks, but we do have some additional needs for student services areas and other areas within our school system. We’re also looking at staffing and staffing levels, so the additional dollars will help. We’re still waiting for more details from the government in terms of how that will roll out but we’re certainly happy to hear.”
The first shipment of 70,000 disposable masks is on route to MVSD and they should be arriving in the coming days. Ward anticipates them to be an adequate amount for September. MVSD will be receiving cloth masks as well, but that amount hasn’t been determined yet.
Ward also clarified how school divisions will be able to use the government’s Safe Schools fund.
“Schools divisions will be required to spend down the original $48 million prior to accessing the additional $52 million. For MVSD, our COVID-19 savings from spring was approximately $1 million. We anticipate with additional expenditures in staffing and cleaning supplies, will expend that amount and will likely be accessing the additional dollars announced by government yesterday.”
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
A man from Brandon has died after his vehicle collided with an overpass on Highway 1.
Blue Hills RCMP responded to the collision around 9:05 a.m. on Sunday, August 23.
An investigation determined a 56-year-old man from Brandon was travelling eastbound on Highway 1, when his vehicle left the highway and collided with the concrete overpass support structure at Provincial Road 459.
The man was pronounced dead on scene, and police say he was wearing his seatbelt.
RCMP continue their investigation.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
A woman is facing a list of drug charges after RCMP executed a search warrant at a Minnedosa home.
On Thursday, August 20th, Minnedosa RCMP conducted the search, which located approximately 500 grams of crystal methamphetamine and 100 grams of purple heroin.
Purple heroin typically contains a mix of heroin, OxyContin, carfentanil, fentanyl or other illicit drugs.
32-year-old Lynsi Farough, from Minnedosa, has been arrested and is facing the following charges:
- Possession of heroin for the purpose of trafficking,
- Possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking,
- Possession of proceeds of crime, and Fail to comply with a court order.
Farough will be appearing in Brandon Provincial Court on August, 24th, 2020.
The investigation is ongoing.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
Manitoba health officials have identified 49 new cases of COVID-19 in their Monday afternoon update.
Thirty-five of the new cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health region, and Dr. Brent Roussin says a significant amount of those cases are from communal living colonies.
Manitoba now has a total of 993 cases, with 395 active cases, and a total of 12 deaths.
None of today's cases are in the Dauphin health district, where there have been 7 total cases, all of which are listed as recovered.
Clarity On New PMH Mask Rules
Starting today, masks will be mandatory in all public indoor places and at all indoor and outdoor public gatherings in the Prairie Mountain Health region.
A person who enters or remains in an indoor public place, including a business, retail or restaurant establishment, must wear a mask in a manner that covers their mouth, nose and chin without gapping.
Masks are not required in situations where people are able to be safely 2 metres apart (ie. sitting at your table in a restaurant that is safely distanced from other tables).
For a list of indoor public spaces and additional details, including the exemptions related to the public health orders, click here.
People who do not have to wear masks include:
• a child who is under five years of age;
• a person with a medical condition that is unrelated to COVID-19, including breathing or cognitive difficulties or a disability, which prevents them from safely wearing a mask; and
• a person who is unable to put on or remove a mask without the assistance of another person.
Gathering Sizes Restricted To 10 People, Indoors & Outdoors
Public gathering sizes, both indoors and outdoors, are limited to 10 people. This includes weddings, funerals, banquets, receptions and professional sporting activities.
A person at an outdoor public gathering with four or more people must wear a mask in a manner that covers their mouth, nose and chin without gapping.
More than ten members of the public may attend a business or facility that is allowed to open under these orders, if public distancing measures are in place to allow people to maintain a distance of at least two metres.
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 up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, click here.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
With some new public health orders going into effect on Monday, August 24 for the entire Prairie Mountain Health region, the local health authority has an update to their policies at hospitals and health centres.
Prairie Mountain Health officials say anyone entering their facilities at this time, for services or visiting, must bring and wear a mask.
PMH also states that everyone entering their facilities will be screened at the door.
Province-Wide Restrictions Coming Soon
The province recently announced all visitors arriving at health-care facilities will soon be required to wear a non-medical mask to be permitted into the site.
The province-wide measure takes effect on September 1, and also extends to outpatients attending appointments at clinics within hospitals and health centres throughout the province.
While primary care clinics and other locations providing health services are not currently included in the mask requirement, all Manitobans are strongly encouraged to wear a non-medical mask when seeking care, according to Health Minister Cameron Friesen.
Visiting A PMH Hospital
To learn more about PMH’s current hospital visitation policies, click here.
Visiting A PMH Personal Care Home
To learn more about PMH’s personal care home visitation policies at this time, click here.
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- Contributed by Matt Hamel
