Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Providing you with expert advice & friendly service. Book online at speedyglass.ca or try our free app on your iPhone
We look forward to serving you. Ϳͷ-A Kelsey Bay Thompson, MB R;N ͷS Ph: Ͷͺ-ͽͽ;-ͽͶͺ; Fax: Ͷͺ-ͽͽ;-ͽͷͺ
Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 62 • Issue 03
Most Manitobans likely to be exposed to COVID in the coming weeks, public health officer says
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Manitoba’s premier and health officials discussed the current COVID-19 situation in the province at a press conference Jan. 12, saying it was highly likely that most of the province’s residents would be exposed to the virus in the coming weeks and that hospitalization data is showing that many of those who have tested positive for the virus initially came to hospital for other medical reasons. Characterizing the omicron variant as essentially a different virus than previous strains, with each known case likely to cause 12 to 16 additional infections, compared to three or four with previous variants like deltas, deputy chief public health officer Dr. Jazz Atwal said the focus is shifting from containing the virus to mitigating the impacts, with most Manitobans likely to
come into contacted with someone with the virus in the coming weeks. “Our ability to contain the virus is limited,” he said, which can cause problems, even though omicron infection are usually milder than those caused by the delta variant. “The sheer number of cases still has the potential to overwhelm our health care system. It can still result in severe disease for some people.” Omicron is now the dominant strain in all regions, Atwal said. There are 601 people in Manitoba hospitals with active COVID-19 infections as of Jan, 17, 40 of them in the northern region. Both those numbers climbed sharply in recent weeks, as did the number of intensive care patients with COVID-19, which is now at 47. “I think we're going to continue to see ICU num-
Thompson Citizen file photo Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson bers increase and the hos- dicting that case numbers pitalizations will increase will continue rising for at as well,” said Atwal, pre- least another week to 14
days. Health Minister Audrey Gordon said data being compiled showed that two-thirds of hospitalized patients with COVID originally came to hospital for other reasons. Premier Heather Stefanson said in-person learning for all students would resume at Manitoba schools on Jan. 17 and that the key to learning to live with the virus remains vaccination, as people with three doses of COVID-19 vaccine are 139 times less likely to end up in in intensive care than those who are unvaccinated. “It’s saving lives, there’s no question about that,” she said. Vaccination task force medical lead Dr. Joss Reimer said that over 50 per cent of Manitoba children aged five to 11 have now received their first dose of COVID vaccine but that it is unlikely that a vaccine
will be approved for those under five any time soon. She also said people who previously had COVID should not wait until three months after their infection to get vaccinated anymore as having had delta or other strains of the virus does not protect well against catching omicron. There were 139 active cases of COVID-19 in the Thompson/Mystery lake health district Jan. 17. It is one of sevennorthern health districts with more than 100 active cases. The Island Lake health district has the most in the north with 513active cases. The five-day test positivity rate in the province Jan. 17 was 34.5 per cent. It was 41.7 per cent in the Northern Regional Health Authority on Jan. 11 and had been climbing steadily in the north since New Year’s Day, when it was at 18.1 per cent.
Number of Manitoba COVID patients in hospital and intensive care continues to rise Saturday to Monday morning. 1,463 Manitobans The number of people with COVID-19 have died testing positive on PCR since the pandemic began COVID-19 tests is declining in March 2020 and 65 per in Manitoba but hospital- cent of those who died withizations and intensive care in the last six weeks were admissions are on the rise. unvaccinated, according to 601 Manitobans with provincial data. COVID-19 infections were The government said in hospital as of Jan. 17, 47 the number of new cases Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham of them inFoundation intensive care. dropped by over 50 perGisele cent deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. Addictions of Manitoba northern director The number of hospital- over the previous week in BY IAN GRAHAM For all the harsh weather things that you izations rose by 84 since to thewrite week ending Jan.have 13. ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET figure out.aIt’s pretty clear Friday while the number to However, majority of I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar she’s now was written of Though ICU admissions up when peopleI get whothrough.” go to provin- I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it a hernumber experienDeMeulles said she wrote had been viable she would bybook two.about The total of cial COVID-19 testing sites my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. ces growing up in Churchill, book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to Churchnorthern residents in hos- her are not given PCR tests but Addictions Foundation of the Stories from tho the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. pital with COVID went up rapidWind: tests to administer Manitoba northern - Life in Churchill for She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, I from 32 Jan. 14 todirector 40 on North themselves, which are not Gisele deMeulles writ- a couple of on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the Monday and onesaid of those reflected in reasons. confirmed case as a storyteller herself. ing wasn’t she numbers, “I just sort of thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though patients is insomething intensive care. so public health always thought she would know this his- tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and For the week ending Jan. you officials saywhat, the confirmed do. my stories and they would go, hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson 13., the province said hos- tory, casesthis are stuff muchthat’s lowerinthan “In my youth never it’s going be gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go pitalizations wentI up by head, the actual totals.toHowever, Thompson Citizen photo by Morsa Images/Getty Images felt at writing,” writetest it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations have the option to do that? back home, standing on the 335,good an increase of 40 she per if theI don’t five-day positivity The number of Manitobans with COVID-19 in the province’s hospitals reached 601 on Jan. 17, up 84 from Friday. said. “But when I moved said. “My kids are not gocent, while ICU admission rate has dropped below 40 ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on to Thompson gettoit 34.5 if I don’t do it northern you? You’ve got to be really Monday “It used to be a really feeling like they’re pawns the it just gives an went up by 37,toanget 85into per ing per to cent per cent, health district, at Nisichawayasihk virus, resulting in reduced andbay, youngest age you group the of social work, and it’scould something I’vethat al- old.’ like, ‘No, actually thriving largeHome. community a political game and force that’s incredible You feel so centschool increase. which indicate sevenI was of which, including Personal Care There in capacity that may for whichsense. a vaccine was at Almost that point I had to write wantedwave my mom to IThompson/Mystery did all that before Lake, I was and just dwindled for them because and you half of those in ways the current of the wereit’s already two otherdown out- really peoplesad who would other-I small approved by feel the great.” federal for university realized, do. My mom’s elder and 27,’ they went ‘What?’” suchinathe small population the people of ChurchNow that78she’s hospital withand COVID-19 pandemic has an peaked haveand more than 100 active to breaks region, includ- think wise have delivered their government. per centgot of ‘Holy, I’mcent not –bad this, she’s artist, she’s got so cases. deMeulles says.Spirit ill book under hertwo belt, Looking back,tosome of now,” really want to thrive. – 49 per are at people is nowandeclining. The latest join that ing one at Northern babies in Thompson to be one Manitobans have had or right?’ I certainly stories beare things Manor Though she’scare not home there They’ve built their may try who have had twodeveloped doses of many 88 wonderful new cases of those list is experiences the Lynn Lake/Marpersonal sent elsewhere to giveworlds birth. deMeulles more dosessays of she COVID-19 a lot of skill cause she always her she might not doRapids/Oagain. any longer, herwhere parents and there. How we feel to produce another. vaccine whilein69university per cent COVID-19 weretellsconcel Colomb/Leaf in Thompson, seven 85 per centwould of Manitobans vaccine while 15 per cent and camein out of there with Canada in Pipon-Na-Piwin/Granville “I did some pretty bizarre her and other family if someone youdose and have “I have another abook in of those intensive care stories firmed at in Parks Northern Manistaffsister members had COVID have had atcame leasttoone not received single a very my Churchill I’ve always like fuel hauls into has the members ‘I’m sorry, you have to me,” says.seven “It’s a darker are. have notstrong had a skill singleindose toba Jan and 17. The region stuff health district, which and at thestill obstetrics and said, of COVID-19 vaccine, dose.she Nearly out of writing and confidence in hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said neonatal “My cousin owns the leave your home more about personof vaccine. now has more than 2,100 106 cases. unit at Thompson including morecommunity than 52 story, 10 active COVID-19 cases my20writing. write very it oninfections. tape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she and we’re going to displace al growth and deaths ofI people with put active There One new outbreak was General Hospital, where per cent of children aged are among peoplestruggles. who have clear andwere that’s it. It’s there. because story declared on me untilinafter. wason a says. else and all Maybe the next five years COVID reported from for are you active casesyour in every theThat north five staff members had the you five somewhere to 11, the most recent had twoindoses of vaccine. BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
is going to be lost,’ and she’s never done it and I thought,
very dangerous thing to do. Being on a plane full of fuel
Because of that, deMeulles finds it hard to
your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”