Manitoba faces 344 new cases of COVID-19, 14 more deaths

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This article was published 26/11/2020 (1239 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province’s top doctor began his daily pandemic update briefing with a list of 14 more Manitobans who have died due to COVID-19.

Meanwhile, across Winnipeg, eager shoppers hit the streets to snap up Black Friday deals.

Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said of the 14, nine were vulnerable seniors who resided in a personal care home. Since the pandemic began, 280 Manitobans have died from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus — at least 130 of them were long-term care clients.

“We continue to announce these deaths everyday. We continue to announce higher numbers than what we can sustain, and so I think it’s quite clear that we need to continue our efforts to bring these numbers down,” Roussin said.

“We need to stay home to decrease the burden that COVID is placing on Manitoba, as well as our health-care workers and health-care facilities.”

However, earlier in the day, vehicles were queuing outside several big-box stores in Winnipeg selling “non-essential” items via a drive-thru — seemingly taking advantage of a loophole in public health orders meant to cut down on gatherings at retailers.

“These orders are in place to save Manitobans lives, so an organization or individuals trying to find ways around need to understand you’re putting Manitobans at risk,” Roussin said.

Community transmission of the novel coronavirus remained high in Winnipeg, with public health officials unable to determine where nearly 50 per cent of infections are happening.

On Friday, Roussin reported 344 new cases of COVID-19 (178 in the Winnipeg region, 73 in Northern Health, 65 in Southern Health, 15 in Interlake–Eastern, 13 in Prairie Mountain).

There was a total of 322 people in hospital, 45 in intensive care.

The test-positivity rate for the province sat at 14.5 per cent; in Winnipeg, it was 14.2 per cent.

“There’s always those urges to get together with others or to run non-essential areas, but my ask to you is to stay home this weekend,” Roussin implored. “Don’t leave the province to go shopping, don’t do any non-essential activities and, for the most part, we’re going to stay home this weekend.

“We can’t have any gatherings, that includes faith-based gatherings, or any gatherings of that nature,” he said, alluding to the Church of God of Steinbach vowing to hold in-person Sunday service.

 

Shared Health chief nursing officer with Lanette Siragusa said pressure on the health-care system continues to increase, as more COVID-19 patients require care.

As of Friday morning, 110 ICU beds were in use across the province, including 103 in Winnipeg.

Shared Health did not provide figures on the total number of ICU beds available, but said the system was 152 per cent above normal capacity, and additional beds had been added overnight.

A little more than half of the total COVID-19 patients currently in ICUs identify as First Nations, according to data from the Manitoba First Nations COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team. On Friday, it reported 106 new cases among First Nations people (93 off-reserve).

Health regions outside beyond the Perimeter Highway are feeling the strain of COVID-19 as well, with services such as home care and surgeries being cut back and staff redeployed to handle the surge in demand.

In Prairie Mountain, emergency services and acute care at Grandview District Hospital (45 kilometres west of Dauphin) have been suspended temporarily to redeploy staff to Grandview Personal Care Home.

Two staff and 15 care home residents have tested positive for COVID-19. An emergency response team from Swan River was called in Thursday to assist.

Siragusa said military support is being discussed by the incident command team, and could be an option in the future, but the strategy is to expend system capacity first.

“We’re not opposed to having the military come, but I think really we don’t know how bad this is going to be or how long this is going to last,” Siragusa said. “So I think it’s one of many strategies that we have available to us, and there’s definitely consideration about when is the right time to trigger that if we need it.”

On Friday, outbreaks were declared at Misericordia Health Centre’s transitional care Unit C6, Grace Hospital’s Unit 4 south, and Kin Place care home in Oakbank.

Outbreaks at Collège Louis-Riel, Collège Leo Remillard, and the Convalescent Home in Winnipeg have been declared over.

Meanwhile, arrangements have been made to open a 10-bed isolation unit at Selkirk Mental Health Centre, specifically for COVID-19-positive, but medically stable, mental health patients. Previously, all COVID-19 patients who also needed mental health services were admitted to Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre.

— with files from Malak Abas and Temur Durrani

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca