Tighter restrictions ‘last chance’ to restrain third wave: Roussin

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This article was published 22/04/2021 (1553 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Brian Pallister and Dr. Brent Roussin escalated public health restrictions and expanded vaccination eligibility this week in what they admitted was a last-ditch attempt to abate a variant-fueled third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic that has already washed over other provinces.

“This is really our last chance before we do have to go back to those much more restrictive measures,” Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, said Monday during a briefing he and Pallister called to discuss the changes.

“We really just have to look to the provinces on either side of us to know why we need to make these adjustments at this point.”

Roussin said roughly two-thirds of new cases in Winnipeg are related to variants of concern, which send a higher percentage of patients to the ICU.

“I do think, from a public health perspective, this really is our last shot at reducing our numbers before we do need to move in to more of a lockdown scenario,” Roussin said. “We cannot overwhelm our health-care system.”

Effective Tuesday, households may only welcome two designated indoor visitors. Outdoor gatherings on public and private property are limited to 10 people, including household members.

Church capacity limits will be reduced to the lesser of 25 percent or 50 people. Parishioners will still be allowed to remove their face masks when not seated with other households or singing.

“My advice is to wear a mask at all times when you’re indoors,” Roussin said, when asked to defend the decision.

Funerals and weddings will be capped at 10 people, excluding an officiant and a photographer.

Effective Wednesday, capacity limits in retail stores and malls were lowered to 33 percent.

All changes will remain in effect until May 12.

“It is really important to play defence now,” Pallister said.

Roussin stopped short of making masks mandatory outdoors, despite hinting at the measure a week earlier.

“Certainly transmission is less risky in outdoor settings,” he said, “but if you are outdoors and gathering with people outside your household and unable to distance, that’s when you should have a mask on.”

Roussin also said he didn’t want an outdoor mask order to deter people from enjoying the outdoors.

The provincial test-positivity rate stood at 6.3 percent yesterday. On Tuesday, Manitoba reported 211 new cases of the virus, the highest daily total since Jan. 24.

Roussin said the new restrictions are targeting behaviours that have been linked to recent case clusters.

He spoke of contact tracers who have linked cases to large funerals, spring break travel, and to multi-household Easter gatherings.

Roussin said cases emerging in the 10 to 19 age bracket are mostly occurring outside of school during sleepovers, playdates, and house parties. Roussin also said clusters have also been attributed to symptomatic people avoiding COVID-19 tests while their housemates go to work or school.

Pallister urged those fed up with pandemic restrictions to take the long view.

“This is a move that’s based on foresight.”

Roussin said broadening rapid testing and vaccination campaigns mean the province has more tools with which to combat the third wave.

“We have lots of reason to be optimistic for the summer approaching…But right now we have to avert a very large third wave like we’re seeing in other jurisdictions.”

Pallister said vaccination isn’t a licence to take risks or ignore public health orders.

AstraZeneca eligibility expands

As of Monday, any Manitoban aged 40 and up can get an AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine at local pharmacies. Previously, only those aged 55 and over could do so.

General COVID-19 vaccine eligibility also expanded this week. At press time, Manitobans aged 50 and over, and First Nations individuals aged 30 and over, could get a Pfizer or Moderna shot at a pop-up clinic or mass vaccination site.

Mobile immunization teams also visited the Southeast this week, offering first doses to residents of congregate living facilities in Ste Agathe, Ste Anne, St Adolphe, St Pierre, St Jean Baptiste, Sprague, and Vita.

Pop-up vaccination clinics were also scheduled this week in Steinbach and Morris.