Nickel Belt News Volume 60 • Issue 48
Friday, November 27, 2020
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Northern Manitoba reports more than 20 new COVID-19 cases for the 11th day in a row Nov. 23
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Manitoba announced a record-high number of new daily COVID-19 cases Nov. 23, adding 546 new cases and pushing the total since the pandemic began to more than 14,000, about one per cent of the province’s population. Twenty-seven new cases were announced in the north, the 11th straight day with more than 20 new positive tests in the region, which has 449 active cases of COVID-19. Only 16 new cases were announced Nov. 17 but provincial information online shows that more than 20 northerners actually tested positive on Nov. 16. Eleven new cases were announced in The Pas/Opaskwayak Cree Nation/Kelsey health district, which is nearing 200 active cases, as well as five in the Grand Rapids/ Mosakahiken/Moose Lake/ Easterville/Chemawawin health district, which now has 91 active cases, the second-most of any northern health district. There were
also three new cases in the Shamattawa/York Factory/ Tataskweyak/Split Lake health district, two in the Island Lake health district and one each in the Cross Lake/Pimicikamak Cree Nation health district and the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/ Cranberry/Sherridon health district, which now has five active cases and had its first COVID outbreak declared on Monday at the Flin Flon personal care home. A Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) spokesperson confirmed to the Flin Flon Reminder Nov. 23 that a staff member at the home tested positive for the disease. The NRHA was made aware of the case Nov. 22. On the same day, a different staff member, working at the Northern Lights Manor in Flin Flon, also tested positive for COVID-19. No residents of either facility have tested positive as of Nov. 23. It is unknown if any residents were exposed to either staff member or where the staff members may have acquired
the disease. While no outbreak has been officially announced at Northern Lights Manor by the provincial government, the NRHA confirmed that outbreak protocols are in effect at both facilities. An outbreak notice for the facility will be issued later this week. “Public Health declared an outbreak in both facilities and immediately began the process of contact tracing and management of the cases. As a precaution, all residents of both care homes were offered COVID-19 testing – 98 per cent of the residents have been tested. To date, no residents have tested positive for COVID-19 at either location,” said the spokesperson Nov. 23. The outbreak status will include new, more restrictive measures at the homes. Admissions to both facilities have been suspended and staff are being screened daily for COVID-19 symptoms, according to the spokesperson. “All staff who are in con-
Gillam Motor Inn receives $5,000 ticket for failing to collect customers’ contact information The Gillam Motor Inn has been issued a $5,000 ticket for not ensuring that contact information was collected from customers as required under COVID-19 pandemic public health orders. The establishment is one of at least nine businesses throughout the province, including a McDonald’s
in Neepawa and a gas station in Riverton, to receive $5,000 tickets since the beginning of November, the provincial government says. Several individuals have also received $1,296 tickets, including six for failing to isolate as required, two for unnecessary travel to North-
ern Manitoba and others for attending gatherings larger than public health restrictions allow, including one of more than 20 people. One person was ticketed at an anti-mask demonstration in Steinbach recently but the province says more tickets related to that event may be handed out.
Cross Lake RCMP issued three tickets for violating COVID-19 public health orders Nov. 2-13 Cross Lake RCMP fined three people for failing to comply with provincial emergency orders under the Public Health Act between Nov. 2. and Nov. 13. Two of these fines, issued Nov. 4 and Nov. 8, were to adult males for not self-isolating as directed and another was issued to a teenager from Winnipeg for travelling to Northern Manitoba in violation of a ban on non-essential travel to the region.
A man in The Pas was fined by The Pas RCMP Nov. 7 for failing to self-isolate as directed. Four other fines were issued by RCMP in the first two weeks of November, including one to a man in Fisher Branch and two to women in Peguis, all for failing to self-isolate as directed. A woman was fined by St-Pierre-Jolys RCMP for having more than five people at her residence.
RCMP officers across Manitoba also issued 42 verbal warnings between Nov. 2 and Nov. 13. Since April 9, the force has issued 119 warnings and 50 fines for failing to follow public health orders. Manitobans living outside of Winnipeg should not call RCMP to report COVID-19 related issues. Reports can be made to the Manitoba Government Inquiry line at 1-866-626-4862.
Twenty-seven new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Northern Manitoba Nov. 23, including 11 new cases in The Pas/Opaskwayak Cree Nation/Kelsey health district, which now has nearly 200 active cases. tact with residents will be 60s, having been announced provincial public health wearing personal protect- on Nov. 21. That came just officer said community ive equipment (PPE) to fur- one day after the region’s transmission is driving the ther prevent any potential fourth death – a woman pandemic, with more than transmission between staff in her 50s from The Pas/ 500 cases in the previous members and residents,” Opaskwayak Cree Nation/ seven days that couldn’t reads the spokesperson’s Kelsey health district – was be linked to any outbreaks statement. announced last Friday. or known exposures to the One of the recent cases Chief provincial public virus. in the Flin Flonn/Snow health officer Dr. Brent Two days later, he noted Lake/Cranberry/Sherridon Roussin announced seven that the test positivity rate in health district was a work- more deaths in Manitoba Steinbach, where there was er at Hudbay’s Stall mill in due to COVID-19 on Mon- an anti-mask rally a weekSnow Lake, according to a day bring the total in the and-a-half ago, was 40 per memo issued by the com- province to 236. Of those, cent and that the province pany Nov. 21. 161 have died since Nov. 1. is seeing 30 to 40 people Across the province, 296 “The list continues to testing positive there per people were in hospital as grow and it’s very challen- day recently. of Nov. 23, and 96 of the ging to be reading every “This is a very concernprovince’s intensive care day,” Roussin said. “It ing number and we need beds were occupied, 52 of might be easy just to think things to change in that area them by COVID-positive of these as numbers but we right now,” Roussin said. patients. Manitoba chief know these are Manitobans. He also pointed out that nursing officer Lanette Sir- Consider how many Mani- some of the difference beagusa said that 43 of the tobans are affected by this.” tween now and when the 79 patients in Manitoba on Roussin did say there virus first arrived in the ventilators as of Monday might be some early indica- spring is the attitude of morning were hospital- tions that moving the whole people towards it and their ized due to COVID-19 and province to the red/critical corresponding behaviour. more than 900 non-urgent level on Nov. 12 may be “Driving to work today, and elective surgeries have having the desired effect. the streets were full, much now been cancelled in the “We have fewer number different than what we saw past four weeks. of contacts per case right in the spring and the current “Our hospitals continue to now,” he said. “It’s expected restrictions are much more fill with COVID patients,” that’s going to translate into stringent,” he said. “We Siragusa said. “These in- a fewer number of cases in need to do better, all of us.” creases in hospitalizations the next week to 10 days.” Roussin addressed onare the result of the high But in light of reports line rumours last week that case numbers that we’ve that some religious organ- COVID-19 tests were being seen ongoing for the past izations were continuing to declared positive without few weeks. These case hold in-person services in being processed, a notion numbers continue to put violation of public health that he called “nonsense,” additional pressure on our orders, Roussin said the re- noting that the informasystem.” strictions are not intended tion is claimed to have Siragusa also said that 17 to curtail freedoms but to come from nurses workhealth care workers hav test- protect Manitobans. ing in Cadham Provincial ed positive for COVID-19 “These orders are here to Laboratory. in the past week, but none save lives,” Roussin said. “We don’t have nurses of them were in the NRHA. "When you have a test posi- working directly in these There were 10 northern tivity rate of what we're see- labs,” he said. “I can asresidents in hospital due to ing really anywhere in the sure you there is no truth COVID-19 Nov. 23, none province we can't have large in this rumour. For whatever of them in intensive care. gatherings safely." reason, there are individThere have been five The test positivity rate in uals who want to convince deaths of northern residents the province was 14 per cent people that COVID is not a since the pandemic began, on Monday. true threat.” the latest, of a man in his On Nov. 18, the chief