Manitoba's COVID-19 curve may be flattening. Officials announced one new case and seven new recoveries during an April 21 briefing, leaving Manitoba with 99 active cases.
Manitoba’s testing criteria continues to expand. All people with flu-like symptoms living in a northern community are encouraged to call Health Links-Info Santé to see if they need a test. Provincial chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said Manitoba processed 314 tests April 20 and testing capacity is now over demand.
“The lower numbers are a reflection of our strict social distancing strategies,” he said.
“To continue our progress, we need to continue with those social distancing strategies.”
Roussin said the province was still working out details on how to enforce current northern travel restrictions.
Southern Manitobans are not allowed to travel above the 53rd parallel, with some exceptions like essential workers and medical personnel. Train and air service is still running, while passenger bus lines have been suspended for the time being.
No Manitoban has been yet been fined for breaking a public health order yet during the outbreak.
Roussin didn’t rule out any enforcement measures, but thought most Manitobans didn’t need futher guidance to follow the new rules.
“For the most part, public health orders have gone out and Manitobans have come through and followed them,” Roussin said.
“If need be, we have a number of options to enforce things.”
Roussin said officials would need to see at least 14 days of minimal virus expansion before loosening some restrictions. He added that northern Manitoba and southern Manitoba could see restrictions change at different times.
“As we loosen [measures], we need to ensure we’re not putting people at increased risk, that are already at high risk,” he said.
“Certainly the travel restriction will very likely remain in place in some shape or form as we loosen things, because we need that added protection for [remote, isolated] communities.”
Manitoba chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa announced new measures for how health care workers should use personal protective equipment (PPE). She said the new measures will help the province stock up on equipment in case the outbreak worsens.
“Current success doesn’t guarantee future success,” Siragusa said.
Roussin said Manitoba was still looking to release some models of how far the virus could spread in the province, but said Manitoba cannot currently make solid projects without more "useful" data.
“The biggest reason we haven’t shared models is because we’re six weeks behind other jurisdictions,” he said.
Roussin continued to spread the message that Manitoba’s low COVID-19 numbers are related to the population’s social distancing efforts. If current trends continue, health orders could loosen in the near future.
“We want to ensure our public health indicators are met, but once they are, we’re going to look at cautiously opening up our economy and monitor the situation really closely.”
Only three people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Northern Health Region.
