Dr. Brent Roussin says "we have largely gone back to our normal ways" which is resulting in high numbers of COVID-19.

Manitoba's COVID-19 updates have moved to three times a week instead of the usual two.

COVID-19 updates will occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Manitoba's chief medical officer is being joined by Lanette Siragusa, the provincial lead, health system integration, quality and chief nursing officer with Shared Health. She will continue to join the doctor in the briefings. 

"Help is on the way," Siragusa says. "We are here for you, we will take care of you, but we ask that you answer the screening questions truthfully."

She says healthcare services are here for patients and asks Manitobans to seek health care when needed. She says patients will not be denied care, even if the patient has been exposed to COVID-19.

"We are coming up on what will be a defining moment of our lifetime," Siragusa says. "We are not powerless. We are not alone."

Public health officials advise one death due to COVID-19 has been reported from the Winnipeg region, a female in her 80s related to the outbreak at Parkview Place.

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 7.1 per cent and 100 new cases of the virus have been identified as of 9:30 a.m. This brings the number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 4,349.

Winnipeg's rate is 8.3 per cent.

Today’s data shows:
• five cases in the Interlake–Eastern health region;
• 10 cases in the Northern health region;
• one case in the Prairie Mountain Health region;
• 11 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and
• 73 cases in the Winnipeg health region.

By the end of the week, Roussin says Manitoba is likely to see over 5,000 cases if we continue to follow the same trends.

Roussin says the province is seeing cases come from funerals and Thanksgiving. Roussin says dozens of healthcare workers, and a surgical team, are isolating due to individuals who did not disclose they were contacts of a COVID-19-positive person during a medical procedure.

"We let COVID off the hook," Roussin says. Roussin says Manitobans need to change, as the trend of COVID-19 cases is concerning.

Roussin says someone who had COVID-19 at a faith-based event then visited a care home. He says people have been going to work with COVID-19. Roussin says that Winnipeg may not have had enough time under its restrictions to see any results. Winnipeg has been in Level Orange since September 28.

James Teitsma october 26

The data also shows:
• 2,117 active cases and 2,177 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19;
• there are 80 people in hospital and 15 people in intensive care; and
• the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 55.

Laboratory testing numbers show 2,131 tests were completed on Sunday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February to 242,787. Case investigations continue and if a public health risk is identified, the public will be notified.

New COVID-19 orders are in effect as of 12 a.m. including more school restrictions.

Public health officials are advising a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 attended a funeral in Lake Manitoba First Nation on Oct. 12 when they did not have symptoms but was in their infectious period. Public health officials will be notifying close contacts directly. Others who attended the funeral should self-monitor for symptoms. If symptoms develop, people should self-isolate and seek testing.

All other possible exposure locations are listed online by region at the province’s #RestartMB Pandemic Response System webpage. For up-to-date information on possible public exposures to COVID-19 in regions, visit www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/updates/flights.html#event  and click on your region.

With the growing number of cases in the Northern health region and Churchill, the province is introducing targeted measures under the Restricted (orange) level of the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System to reduce community spread of the virus by reducing close-prolonged contact  between people. These measures came into effect at midnight this morning, for a minimum of two weeks. For more information, visit: www.manitoba.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs/northern/index.html#north_restrictions.

Additional measures have been put in place for schools in the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region and the Northern health region under the Restricted Level (orange), effective today. For more information, visit:
www.manitoba.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs/winnipeg/index.html#wmr_schools.

The chief provincial public health officer urges Manitobans to not socialize with people from outside their households to cut down the number of close contacts and avoid closed-in or crowded spaces. In addition, they should focus on these fundamentals to help stop the spread of COVID-19:
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Wash/sanitize your hands and cover your cough.
• Physically distance when you are with people outside your household.
• If you cannot physically distance, wear a mask to help reduce the risk to others or as required by public health orders.

Public health guidance for Halloween trick-or-treating has been developed. If people do choose to participate in trick-or-treating this year, information is available on how to do it safely at https://manitoba.ca/covid19/halloween.html.

Unless recommended by public health officials, only individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should go for testing. Individuals with symptoms are asked to seek testing as soon as possible once symptoms are present. Employers are asked to only send employees for testing if they have symptoms or if testing has been recommended by public health officials.

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