COVID-19

Students will be able to return to in-class learning this fall for the 2021-2022 school year as the provincial government has released its return-to-school plan.

Grade 1 to 12 students are required to wear a mask or face covering in schools and on school transportation. Kindergarten students are not required to wear masks or face coverings but are encouraged. School staff and transportation staff must wear masks.

Elementary schools students will attend in-person learning five days a week and students will be placed in cohorts and have one teacher.

Since Friday, a total of 743 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported.

Friday added 240, Saturday saw 230, Sunday reported 174, and Monday 126.

Alberta now has 2,176 active cases with a seven-day average positivity rate of 3.13 per cent.

Hospitalizations continue to hold steady with 90 people in hospital which is an increase of one since Thursday.

ICU admissions rose by three since Thursday for a total of 23.

Sadly, there were another three deaths reported since Thursday bringing the total in the province to 2,328.

Winnipeg's baseball team is gearing up to welcome its first fans back.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes will be playing its first home game of the season Tuesday evening, a long-awaited moment for General Manger Andrew Collier.

"It is going to be great tonight seeing Goldeyes at home on our home field for the first time in a very long time," Collier says.

The last time the team played at home was on September 2, 2019. The team spent time in Fargo, North Dakota and recently in Jackson, Tennessee. 

Winnipeg is seeing a slight jump in new COVID-19 cases.

Over the course of four days, from Saturday to Tuesday, 101 new COVID-19 cases are confirmed. New cases include 27 people on Saturday, 34 cases on Sunday,18 cases Monday, 22 cases Tuesday.

The provincial COVID-19 test positivity rate has risen following increasing new case numbers. Manitoba's five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 2.6 per cent and Winnipeg's rate is 1.9 per cent. Tuesday's rates are up from last week's 2.3 per cent in Manitoba and 1.4 per cent in Winnipeg.

New cases include:

Manitoban faith gatherings will see a change to their restrictions on outdoor gatherings this weekend.

During a Tuesday press conference with Dr. Brent Roussin and Premier Brian Pallister, it was announced there would be few changes to indoor gathering sizes for places of worship. These remain set at 150 participants or 50 per cent capacity limit, but now has changes to whichever is greater.

The Northwestern Health Unit is confirming one new COVID-19 test result in the region. The positive test result was discovered in the Kenora Health Region. The NWHU also confirms one new COVID-19 report in the Rainy River Health Region that is not included in the active case count as the case is already considered resolved. 

Follow up with the person involved and their contacts has started according to protocol. Anyone who is identified as a contact for this case will be contacted directly. 

Premier Brian Pallister and Dr. Brent Roussin are announcing more loosening of restrictions in the province as COVID-19 cases continue to drop and vaccination rates climb.

"As of today 80 per cent of Manitobans over the age of 12 have received their first dose," Pallister says in a Tuesday press conference. "Dr. Roussin and I are pleased to announce that Manitoba will be in a position to reopen sooner."

Roussin says they are moving from Pubic Health restrictions to Pubic Health recommendations for most sectors.

Last week’s announcement from Children’s Services Minister, Rebecca Schulz regarding benefits for childcare in the province was welcomed news to preschool operators.

The details included $4.25 million going to support families with children attending licensed preschools. It means eligible families will receive $125 per month to assist with fees for childcare. Previously, subsidy funding was only available for licensed daycare, family day home, and out-of-school care programs.

Manitobans will be learning about the latest health order changes on Tuesday.

After a couple of weeks out of the public eye, Manitoba's premier will return to Room 68, the province's press conference room at the legislative building. He will be joining Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's Chief Public Health Officer, to announce updated health orders.

The announcement is being made at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. 

A shift is coming to Manitoba's vaccine rollout as the province is on the heels of a vaccination milestone.

As of Friday morning, 79.5 per cent of all eligible Manitobans have received their first COVID-19 vaccine. At the same time, 69.3 per cent of people received their second dose.

In order ot have a full reopening, 80 per cent of people need to have gotten their first dose, and 75 per cent their second.

Returning vaccines

At the end of August, 5,500 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine sitting in Manitoba freezers were set to expire.