Manitoba's Chief Public Health Officer hints at the possibility of new COVID-19 restrictions but is not saying what they will be.

The doctor says stronger restrictions are an option being considered to lower COVID-19 cases.

"It is disappointing and frustrating, I know to me and all Manitobans, to have this renewed talk of further restrictions. We have been at this for so long, but we are going to need to ask Manitobans for their further adherence," Dr. Brent Roussin says.

He could not say what the new restrictions would be, when they will come into place, or who they will impact. Roussin says he has been seeing increases in Southern Health, but also in Manitoba as a whole. 

Southern health holds roughly 15 per cent of the province's population and 30.5 per cent of all active cases. All but seven of the province's 28 intensive care patients are from Southern Health, and two in every five hospital patients are from this region. 

"About two per cent of test positives would end up being admitted into ICU. We still see roughly that same number despite the high vaccine coverage. And again, those admissions are almost exclusively in not fully vaccinated individuals."

The doctor reiterates that schools continue to be the first to open and last to close, saying schools are not often sources of transmission. Rapid testing for students is a "tool in the toolbox" but it is not currently being done. This fall COVID-19 cases have been rising in youth. Cases with a school connection make up 10.5 per cent of the total number of COVID-19 cases accumulated since the first day of school. Since September there have been 916 confirmed COVID-19 cases in schools, with 788 of those cases in students.

Manitoba could see an increased strain on its healthcare system in the next two or three weeks. 

 

Holiday impact

Fully vaccinated Manitobans can expect the holidays to have fewer restrictions than those who are not fully vaccinated. 

"For the most part, our restrictions right now apply only to the unvaccinated so I would say people who are looking forward to a holiday season with limited restrictions the first and foremost thing you can do is get vaccinated," he says. "We really want to see a much better holiday season than we had to endure last year."

Roussin says healthcare capacity has been a concern throughout the pandemic and does not expect the holidays to change those concerns. He could not specify what is being done to help with the anticipated increase.