News briefs for September 25, 2020

Public health officials are alerting the public about a potential COVID-19 exposure at St. John’s-Ravenscourt School in Winnipeg.

An individual who is a confirmed case of the virus visited the campus outside of normal school hours in one location on Sept. 14 and Sept. 16. They did not have any direct contact with students during either visit. 

In a Friday letter to parents, the medical officer of health of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said all close contacts have been identified and advised to self-isolate.

Students and staff members who have not been contacted by public health are being asked to self-monitor for symptoms, no matter how minor. It is recommended a child be tested for COVID-19 as soon as symptoms appear.

“The school performs daily work to disinfect and sanitize school spaces using the product Peraspray. Door hardware and frequent touch surfaces are also sanitized throughout the day,” Dr. Lisa Richards added.

Motorists are being asked to avoid Logan Avenue at Stanley Street after a school bus carrying numerous students hit a hydro pole Friday afternoon.

Winnipeg police say the crash was a one-vehicle accident involving a bus and the pole; no injuries have been reported. All students — whose ages weren’t immediately released — on board were checked by authorities once they got off the bus and are being reunited with their families. 

Following a surge in local COVID-19 cases that led the province to raise Winnipeg’s official pandemic risk level, the city is cancelling parks bookings for large crowds and city-led public events.

The civic government will also limit gathering sizes for weddings and funerals on city property to 10 or fewer people to follow new provincial orders, while more cancellations could be considered soon.

The initial changes will take effect Monday, Sept. 28, when the province will deem Winnipeg to be in the restricted” orange category within its pandemic response system. The province will then impose a 10-person maximum on indoor and outdoor gatherings and mandate mask use in all indoor public places.

Jason Shaw, Winnipeg’s assistant chief of emergency management, said the city believes new gathering restrictions don’t apply to libraries, recreation centres or arenas, or affect Winnipeg Transit, but is seeking further clarification from the province.

The Manitoba government said Friday the number of cases at a North Kildonan middle school had jumped to 28 as of Friday.

Several classes at John Pritchard School, involving 250 students, switched to remote learning after the first case was detected last week.

New public health orders trying to stop the spread of COVID-19 include Winnipeg’s neighbouring communities, said chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin.

Public gatherings will be restricted to 10 people, both indoors and outdoors, and masks will be mandatory in indoor public places starting Monday including Winnipeg, Selkirk, Stonewall, Niverville, Dunnottar and the rural municipalities ofCartier, Headingley, Macdonald, Ritchot, Rockwood, Rosser, Springfield, St. Andrews, St. Clements,St. François Xavier, Taché, West St. Paul and East St. Paul. 

Winnipeg is moving to code orange pandemic restrictions effective Monday, the chief provincial public health officer said today.

Manitoba reported 54 new COVID-19 cases today, 44 of which are in Winnipeg, Dr. Brent Roussin said. In an attempt to slow the spread of the virus, masks will be mandatory in all indoor public places in Winnipeg. 

Indoor and outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people. All other existing orders and rules for schools, child care, retail, museums, theatres and casinos will remain the same for the time being. 

These restrictions will remain in place for a minimum of four weeks (two incubation periods of the virus), the province said.

The drivers of two vehicles are dead after a head-on collision on a highway near Bowsman on Thursday.

Swan River RCMP said on Friday that a 24-year-old RM of Mountain man and a 41-year-old Swan River woman died in the collision on Highway 10 just south of Bowsman at about 10:25 p.m.

RCMP said both drivers were the only occupants of their vehicles and both were wearing seatbelts.

A resident living with special needs in St. Amant’s community residential program has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement from St.Amant on Friday, the resident, who is ill, has been moved from their group home to another one to minimize the spread of the infection.

St. Amant says the resident’s other housemates will self-isolate for 14 days and they will be tested for the coronavirus.

Public Health is checking with staff who work in the home to see if they also need to self isolate and be tested.

Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer is holding an impromptu press conference this afternoon for a COVID-19 update.

Dr. Brent Roussin will be at the media room at the Manitoba legislature at 1:30 p.m. today, a notice from the province said.

The death of a Pine Creek First Nation man in a collision involving an ATV is being investigated as suspicious by the RCMP.

Dauphin RCMP said on Friday that a 35-year-old man was found dead after the collision on Provincial Road 489 near PR 271 in the RM of Mountain on Thursday at 2:35 p.m.

RCMP said a 39-year-old woman was also found there with serious but non-life threatening injuries and taken to hospital.

RCMP said while they are continuing to investigate the death as suspicious, they say there is no risk to public safety.

RCMP report that a missing man from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation has been safely located.

Isaiah Blacksmith, 23, had last been seen on Sept. 11.

Nuit Blanche Winnipeg organizers took to social media Thursday night to announce the annual art party was rescheduling.

The event was set to take place Sat., Sept. 26 with nine art installations and a dozen independent activities happening throughout Winnipeg’s core neighbourhoods. 

Instead, the events will be incorporated into Culture Days Manitoba and spread out over the next month. A new schedule has not yet been released. 

Four more residents at Parkview Place Long Term Care Home have tested positive for COVID-19. 

Personal care home operator Revera Inc. said additional testing at the facility has discovered infections in four more residents. Eleven seniors have been infected with the virus, one of whom died, marking the province’s 19th COVID-19 related death. 

According to Revera, a second employee also tested positive for COVID-19. 

“The two employees who have tested positive remain at home in self-isolation. The facility is conducting contact tracing. Further testing for residents and staff may be undertaken as indicated,” Revera chief medical officer Dr. Rhonda Collins said in a statement. 

“We continue to work closely with WRHA Public Health officials to implement pandemic outbreak protocols and enhanced infection control practices. All residents are remaining on their floors. Positive cases are in isolation in their rooms,” the statement said.

The community at River East Collegiate is on alert after a person who tested positive for COVID-19 may have been on the school grounds while infectious. 

In a letter sent to parents and guardians, the WRHA said, “Manitoba public health officials have advised River East Collegiate of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the school on September 18 when the individual may have been infectious.”

A public health investigation has assessed the risk to others as low and determined the infection was not acquired at school. 

Anyone identified as a close contact will be contacted and provided instructions for self-isolation and testing may also be recommended, the WRHA said. 

Areas of the school have been closed for cleaning. The WRHA did not say whether any classes or cohorts have been directed to go into self-isolation.