Most Manitoba students to continue remote learning as other COVID-19 restrictions extended

Hundreds of Manitoba schools will remain in remote learning until at least June 7, and strict public health orders that prevent any social gatherings have been extended two more weeks.

Schools in Winnipeg, Brandon, Dauphin and the Red River Valley and Garden Valley school divisions will stick with remote learning until June 7at a minimum. Dauphin schools will stay closed until June 9, said Dr. Brent Roussin, chief public health officer.

Extending remote learning and other restrictions comes weeks into a series of gradual yet widespread public health orders aimed at reducing close contacts and alleviating pressure from Manitoba hospitals.

A public health order forced schools in Winnipeg, Brandon and elsewhere to move to remote learningover two weeks ago. That order was set to expire on Sunday.

Roussin said the hope is still to get students back in school next month, before the end of the school year.

Manitoba Education Minister Cliff Cullen told reporters Thursday that there will be another announcement next week regarding the remaining weeks of the school year.

The news comes asManitoba announced eight more COVID-19 deaths, the highest single-day death toll in months, and 297 new cases.

Manitoba has been averagingover 400 new cases a day for over two weeks and recently became the jurisdiction with the highest infection rate of any province or U.S. state.

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"Our health-care system is depending on us": Manitoba extends COVID-19 restrictions another two weeks

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Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief public health officer, said COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions remain "extremely high" and the public must work together to slow spread of the virus, as he announced extended pandemic restrictions on Thursday.

Hospitals are under siege and over two dozen Manitoba COVID-19 patients have been sent out of the province, primarily to Ontario, to receive critical care as intensive care units in the province maxed out.

"Our health-care system is under great strain," Roussin said.

Because of that, the province is extending existing public health restrictions until June 12.

That means no indoor or outdoor gatherings with people outside your household. The rule applies toplaygrounds, golf courses, parks, sports fields and campgrounds.

Some exceptions apply, including for child care. People who live alone may also have one designated visitor over.

Retail businesses will be allowed to stay open at 10 per cent capacityor 100 occupants, whichever is lower.

The current public health orders have been tweaked to add new powers for public health to shut down businesses with multiple cases among staff, Roussin said.

Employers are also ordered to allow employees to work from home wherever possible.

Gyms, restaurants, bars, personal service businesses, museums, galleries and libraries will remain closed.Faith-based gatherings are still not allowed.

Malls remain open

Malls, which remain open, must prevent people fromusing the space to gather, Roussin said.

"These malls are not allowed to tolerate gathering within them," he said.

The changes largely extend existing restrictions, despite repeated calls from doctors and other health-care professionals for Manitoba to issue a stay-at-home order and close all non-essential businesses.

About 10 per cent of infectionslately have been linked to workplaces, Roussin said.

"That's still significant," he said. "That may require temporary closures."

Pallisterhas said Manitoba has the strongest restrictions in place in the country.

He conceded on Thursday there are tighter restrictions onnon-essential businesses in Ontario, where they remain closed.

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Premier Brian Pallister urges Manitobans to get vaccinated, follow public health rules

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Premier Brian Pallister on Thursday urged all Manitobans to follow health rules and those eligible to get a vaccine.

Asked whether Manitoba can expect to reopen in line with what other provinces have planned, Pallister said that depends on the public adhering to health orders and getting vaccinated as soon as possible.

"I am not going to be Pollyanna here," Pallister said. "We're in the middle of a really serious challenge."

Manitoba's hospitals have stretched to the brink, so much so that over two dozen patients have been shuttled to other provinces, primarily Ontario, in recent days."

Thousands of surgeries have been postponed as doctors and nurses typically assigned to surgery or medical units have been redeployed to keep up with the crush of COVID-19 patients.

This week, a group of doctors raised alarms about the downstream effects of suspending surgeries, sayingat least six cardiac patients have died recently while waiting for care. Manitoba was still chipping away at asurgery backlog from the second wave of the pandemic when the third wave hit.

Pallisterpleaded for help from the federal government less than a week ago. Manitoba has been promised at least a dozen ICU nurses bythe federalgovernment, along with dozens of contact tracers and a few other experts from various federal agencies. Some of those resources were expected in Manitoba this week.

Meanwhile, officials continue to urge Manitobans to get vaccinated as soon as possible to help stem the third wave.

So far, 58.3 per cent of those age 12and uphave received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Everyone 12 and up is now eligible for a first dose, and second dose appointments opened for some people late last week.

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Manitoba government daily briefing on coronavirus: May 27

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Provincial officials give update on COVID-19 outbreak: Thursday, May 27, 2021.

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