Want to know how the COVID-19 situation is in Manitoba? The province has released a new warning system to show just that, boiling health and safety data down to four colour coded stages.
The new provincial warning system was released August 19, including four colour-coded levels, each covering a different stage of COVID-19 transmission. The data will be similar to maps used to show fire danger in various areas, with certain colours showing lower or higher risks of COVID-19. All four levels in the system will be applied both to the province as a whole and to specific regions.
The lowest level, the “limited risk level”, is coloured green and covers areas where COVID-19 spread has been mostly contained or where treatment for COVID-19 is available.
“Transmission of the virus is at very low to undetectable levels between household and close contacts. There may be single or isolated small outbreaks, which are quickly contained. Community transmission is low to undetectable,” reads the province’s description.
Up one level is the yellow-coloured “caution level”, where the disease is present and community transmission is at low levels.
“Household and close contact transmission could be occurring in Manitoba. There may be single or isolated small cluster outbreaks which are quickly contained. Community transmission is low to undetectable,” reads the description.
The third level, coloured orange, is the “restricted level”, where community transmission of COVID-19 is taking place.
Under the orange level, according to provincial health officials, “new clusters are more common, but can be controlled through testing and contact tracing. The health care system is able to manage COVID-19 case levels.”
The highest and final level is the red “critical level”, used in areas with full-blown outbreaks of COVID-19 where community spread is not contained and the health care system may be strained.
“The virus is being transmitted at levels that public health and the health system cannot manage. Extensive community transmission is occurring. There are widespread outbreaks and new clusters that cannot be controlled through testing and contact tracing. The health care system may be close to or over capacity,” reads the description.
No other province has produced a similar COVID-19 system during the pandemic.
Information used to build the map will come from public health officials and will include health system capacity and function, public health, risk of transmission to vulnerable people, risk of cases being imported from outside Manitoba and other factors.
On the COVID-19 front, Manitoba reported the province’s 12th death from the disease. A man in his 60s from the Grey health district in the Southern Health-Sante Sud region died from COVID-19 August 18. The man contracted the disease as part of a known cluster and was previously hospitalized and in intensive care.
Six other Manitobans remain hospitalized with COVID-19, with two people in intensive care.
Another 15 cases of COVID-19 were reported by the province August 19, with most of the cases centring around the Prairie Mountain Health region. Of the 15 cases, 13 were found in Prairie Mountain Health. One case each was found in Southern Health-Sante Sud and in Winnipeg. Investigations into how each person caught the disease are ongoing.
Across the province, 223 people have COVID-19. Of the active cases, Prairie Mountain Health has reported the highest number of active cases, with 93 people having COVID-19. Southern Health-Sante Sud has 46 active cases, while the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority has 45 cases. Winnipeg has 34 active cases. No cases have been reported in the Northern Health Region since April 8.
In the August 19 press briefing, Manitoba chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said he understands increased anxiety over the high number of recent cases.
“I know Manitobans are anxious about the numbers that we’ve seen as of late, but they also know we have these concrete steps that we can take to reduce our risk. We can focus on the fundamentals, those fundamentals are what helped us flatten the curve in March, April and May,” said Roussin.
A possible COVID-19 exposure has been reported in Wasagaming, located in Prairie Mountain Health. A person who was at the Wigwam Restaurant in the community from 3 p.m.-10 p.m. August 13-14 and from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. August 15 has tested positive. Anyone who attended the restaurant at those times is asked to self-monitor for symptoms and present for screening and testing if symptoms develop.
“The risk of transmission is considered low, but information is provided to help people to assess their risk and get testing if symptoms develop,” said Roussin.
Manitobans are now being asked to only report for testing if they are showing COVID-19 symptoms or have been referred by a health worker.
