Manitoba’s top doctor will give an update on the province’s ongoing efforts against COVID-19 Monday as at least two weeks of tighter restrictions start in Winnipeg.
Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public officer of health, has scheduled a press conference for 12:30 p.m., and Global News will stream the event live here.
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Casinos, bars, bingo halls closed under tighter coronavirus restrictions coming to Winnipeg area
On Friday health officials announced they would be imposing increased restrictions in the greater Winnipeg area due to rising novel coronavirus numbers.
Starting Monday, and lasting for two weeks, gatherings will be limited to five people. That will also be the maximum allowed to sit together at a restaurant table.
Beverage rooms, bingo halls and casinos will have to close, while restaurants, lounges, retail stores, museums and libraries will be limited to half capacity.
“We need to make this change, this sacrifice, for two weeks,” Roussin said Friday.
He later added that the measures could be extended if numbers don’t drop.
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“We need to reduce our community transmission of this virus. We need to reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths.”
The Winnipeg region, which includes the city and surrounding communities, was already under tighter rules than the rest of the province after a case surge in late summer. Masks have been mandatory indoors, gatherings were limited to 10, and bars and restaurants had to stop selling liquor at 10 p.m.
Manitoba posted record numbers of daily new cases last week, although the numbers fell sharply starting Friday and continued the downward trend over the weekend. The province also saw deaths reported almost every day last week and two further deaths were reported Sunday.
Health officials reported 75 new cases Friday, 85 on Saturday and 44 on Sunday. A man and woman from Winnipeg, both in their 70s, are the province’s latest reported victims of the virus.
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2 more COVID-19 deaths, 44 new cases in Manitoba ahead of more restrictions
Manitoba has seen 3,302 cases of the virus since March and 40 people have died.
At one point in the summer, Manitoba had just one known active case of COVID-19. Provincial data showed there were 1,675 active cases as of Sunday.
—With files from The Canadian Press
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.