COVID-19

The Saskatchewan government released the most recent COVID-19 numbers Tuesday afternoon, updating numbers from over the Christmas period. Between December 24th and Tuesday, 908 new cases of COVID-19 were reported. This included 162 new cases from Tuesday.

Two deaths connected to COVID-19 were also reported.

The increase in cases brought the number of active cases across the province to 1,438. This is the most active cases within Saskatchewan since November 11th, as the number of cases was on the decline.

Q104, KenoraOnline, and DrydenNow are looking back at the biggest news stories of the year. Today’s story is an interview with Kenora District Services Board Chief Administrative Officer, Henry Wall.

Q: 2021 had its ups and downs for the KDSB, but in your mind how was the year that was?

New public health orders aimed at limiting public gatherings are going into effect in Manitoba on Tuesday. Manitoba's top doctor and Premier Heather Stefanson announced the new public health orders Monday afternoon at a press conference.

Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief provincial public health officer, says that effective Tuesday, public gatherings for vaccinated people must not exceed 50 per cent, or 250 people, whichever is less. That includes restaurants, sporting events, bars, and more.

Manitoba's top doctor says it is imperative that we all adjust our holiday plans yet again.

Three days after tighter restrictions gripped Manitoba, Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin pleaded again for the cooperation of Manitobans.

"Now more than ever Manitobans need to follow the public health orders, the capacity limits," he urges. "We need to limit our contacts with others."

Public health officials advise two new deaths in people with COVID-19 are being reported today:

• a male in his 50s from the Winnipeg health region (reported Thursday); and
• a female in her 40s from the Winnipeg health region (reported Friday).

Today's five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 12.6 per cent provincially and 14.7 per cent in Winnipeg. As of 9:30 a.m. today, 1,298 new cases of the virus have been identified since Wednesday: 556 cases on Thursday, Dec. 23; and 742 cases today. This includes:

Manitoba's test rate has jumped close to two per cent in one day.

There are 742 new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba, bringing the total number of cases to 73,573. There are 3,626 active cases and 68,577 recoveries.

Cases by health region include:

Staff with the Northwestern Health Unit are reporting 34 new cases of COVID-19 in their catchment area today, bringing the region’s overall total to 152 active cases.

Today’s cases include 11 in the Red Lake health hub, 9 in Kenora’s, 6 in Sioux Lookout, 6 in Dryden, 1 in Emo and 1 in Fort Frances.

Follow up with the persons involved and their contacts have started according to protocol. Anyone who is identified as a contact for these cases will be contacted directly.

At the direction of Alberta’s government, Alberta Health Services will provide all unimmunized physicians and staff the option of temporary frequent COVID-19 testing to ensure the anticipated demand on the health-care system caused by the Omicron variant can be met.

Manitoba's Chief Public Health Officer is asking Manitobans to change their holiday plans, limiting them to one gathering this weekend. The doctor says restrictions are very likely to tighten next week.

"Omicron is here rapidly spreading," Roussin says. "We are sending out a very clear message that holiday plans need to change."