COVID-19

A big announcement is coming Tuesday afternoon (Dec.14).

The province is expected to relax COVID-19 restrictions, allowing more people to gather for the holidays.

"Dec.14, the State of Public Health Emergency will lapse. That's why we think it's the right time for us potentially to move forward," explained Premier Jason Kenney during a recent press conference.

The region’s top doctor is advising against residents traveling outside of Northwestern Ontario this holiday season due to a rise of COVID-19 cases and the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Dr. Kit Young Hoon, Medical Officer of Health for the Northwestern Health Unit said in a media briefing Tuesday the risk is too high of contracting the new variant.

“The primary reason for this recommendation is to slow down the spread of Omicron variant into NWO to give us more time to ensure the third dose vaccination rates are as high as possible,” said Young Hoon.

The provincial government is asking the federal government for help staffing overwhelmed intensive care units in Manitoba.

This weekend two Manitoban ministers wrote to the federal government's Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair asking for help staffing more intensive care beds. 

A spokesperson for Health and Seniors Care says Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon and Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler sent a request for nurses due to the "continued pressure of the fourth wave and continuing pressures in our major acute care facilities and ICUs."

Staff with the Northwestern Health Unit are reporting 11 new cases of COVID-19 in our catchment area.

Today’s cases include 5 in the District of Rainy River, 4 in the Kenora region and 2 in the Dryden/Red Lake region.

Overall, the NWHU is reporting a total of 25 cases of COVID-19 in the region, and they’ve all come within the last 4 days.

Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table says due to the new Omicron variant, cases of COVID-19 in the province are on pace to double every three days, prompting Ontario to change course with their reopening plan.

As of December 13, Ontario reported 1,536 cases of COVID-19 – a 73 per cent jump from the same time frame last week. The seven-day average of cases is at its highest point in more than six months. It’s estimated that about 20 per cent of the new infections are being caused by the Omicron variant.

The province is reporting 863 new COVID-19 cases since Friday. 

There were 373 cases on Friday, 288 recorded Saturday, and 202 on Sunday. 

The positivity rate is hovering around the four per cent mark. 

There have been seven more cases of the Omicron variant identified bringing the total in the province to 30. 

The province currently has 4,182 active cases.

There are 357 people in the hospital and 68 of those are in ICU. 

Sadly, three additional deaths have been recorded bringing the total in the province to 3,275.

We should hear more Tuesday (Dec. 14) about COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits.

So far the Province has only provided them to priority workplaces, long term care homes and schools that have had an outbreak.

But they've been more widely distributed in other countries and in other parts of Canada.

Premier Jason Kenney says the problem's been supply.

Manitoba is on the cusp of reaching a new COVID-19 milestone as case numbers are just shy of 70,000.

There are 125 new COVID-19 cases in Manitoba, bringing the total number of cases to 69,979.

Out of Monday's cases, 51 people are not vaccinated, 88 people are fully vaccinated, and 13 people are partially vaccinated.

New cases by health region include:

The Northwestern Health Unit is reporting the discovery of fourteen new COVID-19 cases in the region over the weekend. 

Seven cases were found in the District of Rainy River, one in the Sioux Lookout Health Region, and three cases each in the Kenora, and Dryden/Red Lake Health Regions.

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

The new cases put the active case count to 17 connected to the NWHU catchment area. 

A paid leave for people testing for COVID-19, getting COVID-19 vaccinations, or other COVID-19-related time off needs is continuing this winter.

The Manitoba Pandemic Paid Sick Leave Program, which was first announced in May, was created to fill the gaps between paid federal assistance and the province's paid sick leave standards. Now, Finance Minister Scott Fielding is announcing Monday that it is being extended until March 31.