Manitoba public health reported 187 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon with a five day test positivity rate of 11.2 percent. 

They also reported six additional deaths with four in the Winnipeg region and one each in Prairie Mountain and Southern health regions. 

Of the new cases 91 were in the Winnipeg region, 38 in Northern health and 33 in Southern health with lower numbers in the other regions.

Of the total 24, 700 reported cases, 4, 505 are active, 19, 528 individuals have recovered, and 337 are in hospital with 37 in intensive care.

With the first shipment of the Moderna vaccine expected to arrive in Manitoba this week the government is working in collaboration with experts in First Nations health to position immediately the first doses of vaccine for deployment to northern and remote communities across the province.

Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation is easing some restrictions it’s put in place during its shutdown.

Chief Marcel Moody says NCN has been very lucky during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the one active case in the community has been resolved and close contacts have been cleared by their public health team.

Because the community has been following the rules, NCN have lifted some restrictions in place, which will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

One of them includes the local store going back to regular hours as of today, with only 25 people allowed in the store at any time.

If there is another active case in the community, a full lockdown will go back into effect.

For people ready to take down their Christmas trees after a low-key, festive weekend, the City of Thompson is reminding residents the best way to dispose of them.

Real Christmas trees can be dropped off at the TRCC behind the ball fields, which will then be used for the annual Winterfest bonfire.

Events Coordinator Darlene Dick says the bonfire will be done virtually this year due to current public health orders.

As for fake trees, the city says they will have to be taken to the landfill as they are not recyclable.

Manitoba Public Health reported 128 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon, with the five day test positivity rate at 12.6 percent. 

They also reported two COVID related deaths: with one in Prairie Mountain and the other in the Northern health Region being a woman in her 70s linked to an outbreak at Thompson General Hospital MSP ward.

Of the new cases, 92 are in the Winnipeg region, 11 each in Interlake Eastern and Northern regions and eight each in Southern and Prairie Mountain health regions.

Of the 24, 513 reported cases 4, 444 are active, 19, 408 individuals have recovered, 337 are in hospital with 36 in intensive care and related deaths total 661.

In the Northern Health Region, there are 966 active cases, with 44 in the Thompson/Mystery Lake District, 86 in The Pas/OCN/Kelsey District, and two in the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry/Sherridon District.

Currently there are 26 active hospitalizations, with four patients in ICU. With today's announcement, the number of COVID-19 deaths in the NRHA is now at 20.

UPDATE: Scott Andrew Nicholas has been found safe and sound.

Local authorities are seeking the public's assistance in locating a missing man from Pukatawagan.

On Dec. 16 at approximately 9:00 am, Thompson RCMP received a report of a missing 43-year-old male.

Scott Andrew Nicholas, of Pukatawagan, was last seen on Dec.16 at 9:00 am, leaving the Thompson General Hospital in Thompson.

Nicholas is described as 5’10”, 240 lbs, with short black hair, and was last seen wearing a black plaid jacket, black pants and black shoes.

Police are concerned for his well-being. If you have any information on his whereabouts please call Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6911, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Manitoba Acting Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Jazz Atwal reported 133 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon, with a five-day test positivity rate of 12.4 percent. 

He also reported five additional deaths, with four in the Winnipeg region and one in Southern Health. 

Atwal says this is good news, but adds 133 cases and five deaths does not mean we can be careless with our actions, take the restrictions currently in place less seriously, go see friends and family outside our households, or host people this Thursday to celebrate the new year.  He explains that our hard work is starting to pay off, limiting our contacts and working from home is making a difference, and that we need to keep doing what we are doing.

Of the new cases, 97 are in Winnipeg Region, 22 in Southern Health and single digit numbers in other regions including three in Northern Health. 

Of the total 24, 385 reported cases, 4, 424 are active, 19, 302 individuals have recovered, and 338 are in hospital with 36 in intensive care.

In the Northern Health region, there are currently 963 active cases of COVID-19, with 45 in the Thompson/Mystrey Lke District, 85 in The Pas/OCN/Kelsey District, and two in the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry/Sherridon District.

Additionally, there are 26 active hospitalizations with three patients in ICU. The total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the region remains at 19.

Last week, MKO responded to the announcement of Health Canada approving the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19.

Echoing past statements, Grand Chief Garrison Settee says MKO still has no information about when either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine will be distributed or made available to MKO citizens.

Settee specifically asked about when off-reserve First Nations people living in Winnipeg will receive the vaccine, and if health care workers from First Nations communities will get access to the vaccine anytime soon.

He once again requested clearer and ongoing communication from the province to ensure First Nations leadership are in the loop when it comes to distribution plans for First Nations communities.

Manitoba Public Health reported 631 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday to Monday. 

They also reported 37 additional deaths, with 28 in the Winnipeg region, three each in the Northern and Southern regions, two in Interlake Eastern, and one in Prairie Mountain. 

Of the new cases, 288 are in the Winnipeg region, 119 in Northern and 106 in Interlake Eastern, with lower numbers in other regions. 

Of the 24, 252 reported cases, 4, 442 are active, 19, 156 individuals have recovered, 343 are in hospital with 37 in intensive care and related deaths total 654. 

An outbreak has been declared at St. Paul’s Personal Care Home in The Pas and has moved to code Critical/Red.

Manitoba's Acting Deputy Chief Provincial Health Officer Dr. Jazz Atwal reported 201 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon, with a five day test positivity rate of 10.4 percent.  Atwal also reported 15 additional deaths with nine in Winnipeg, three in the Southern region, two in Interlake Eastern and one in the Northern region.

The provinces COVID-19 Immunization Lead Dr. Joss Reimer explained with the approval of the Moderna vaccine, their team is working to determine how many doses will be received and where these need to be prioritized. 

Reimer reported the closest estimate she has today is they are planning to provide ten thousand doses of vaccine per week in January. But those numbers do change on a day by day basis as they get updates from the manufacturer and the federal government.

Of the new cases, 118 are in the Winnipeg region and 31 in the Northern region, with lower numbers in other regions. 

Of the 32, 381 reported cases, 4, 427 are active, 18, 349 individuals have recovered, 259 people are in hospital with 37 in intensive care. Related deaths total 605.

A local arts organization is partnering with a fellow northern arts council and the Manitoba Theatre for Young People to bring theatre workshops for youth in Thompson and Flin Flon.

Thompson Mall of the Arts Co-Founder Andria Stephens explains she reached out to the Flin Flon Arts Council to connect and work on collaborating with northern arts organizations, as well as to bring theatre to youths in both communities who would like more opportunities to get creative in a virtual social setting.

There will be three workshops to choose from: masks and puppetry, creative drama, and dancing classes. The classes are for kids ages 4 and up, and are divided into three age groups.

Registration is free, and you can find more information at mallofthearts.com or on Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon.

The workshops begin January 9^th.

The Thompson RCMP is seeking the public’s assistance in locating 43 year-old Scott Andrew Nicholas. 

Nicholas was  last seen near the Thompson General Hospital on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at approximately 9:03 a.m, wearing a black plaid jacket, black pants and black shoes.  His height is approximately 5’11 and he weighs approximately 240 lbs. 

There is a concern for the health and welfare of Nicholas.  Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6911 or the Thompson General Hospital at 204-677-2381.

Manitoba Acting Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Jazz Atwal announced 166 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon. 

That brings the five-day test positivity rate down to 11.5 percent. 

Atwal also announced four additional deaths, with three in Winnipeg and one in Southern health.

Health Minister Cameron Friesen says like the seasons things will change.  He explains just like with the winter solstice change takes time to become perceptible but the change is there and so it will be in Manitoba. He says they are making plans right now for what comes next, what comes after this current shutdown and these current restrictions.

Of the new cases, 83 are in Winnipeg region, 43 in Southern Health, and 25 in Northern Health with lower numbers in other regions. 

Of the 23, 025 reported cases, 5, 736 are active, 16, 717 individuals have recovered, and 310 are in hospital with 42 in intensive care.

In the NRHA, there are 897 active cases, with 34 hospitalizations and one patient in ICU. There are 69 active cases in the Thompson/Mystery Lake District, 86 in the The Pas/OCN/Kelsey District, and two in the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry/Sherridon District.

The number of COVID-19 related deaths in the north remains at 14.

With the first doses of COVID-19 vaccine arriving in Manitoba last week, MKO has not been informed on what the province’s plan is for distribution for its citizens.

This comes after MKO sent a letter to Premier Brian Pallister earlier this month to advise him that First Nations expertise should have a seat at the table when it comes to Manitoba’s Task Force on COVID-19.

Grand Chief Garrison Settee expressed in a statement that the province has yet to reach out to the organization with any information on who is making these decisions and how they’re being made.

Settee also shared that MKO spoke with Canada’s top physician Doctor Teresa Tam recently about the lack of involvement from Manitoba first Nations experts at the national level.

He says that since MKO citizens are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, it’s important for all political leaders to work together and maintain transparency as lives are at stake.

Manitoba Acting Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Jazz Atwal announced 350 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon.  He also announced ten additional deaths with five in Southern Health, three in Winnipeg and one each in Interlake Eastern and Prairie Mountain regions.  Of the total new cases 133 are in the Winnipeg region, 89 in the Northern region and 57 in Southern Health with lower cases in other regions.

Atwal commented on the vaccine roll out noting there’s no timetable at the present time, they don’t have any more vaccine available in Manitoba but there are plans for more vaccines to come in but they’re going to have to plan and that planning process is underway and they’re going to work with their partners to look at the operationalization, the distribution, the inoculation of vaccines for all Manitobans.

The total number of lab confirmed cases in the province is 22,397with 5602 being active.

An outbreak has been declared at Thompson General Hospital MSP ward and the site has moved to critical or red on the Pandemic Response System.

Mayor Colleen Smook stopped by the virtual Thompson Chamber of Commerce meeting to give an update on the city.

One thing Smook touched on was the new waste water treatment plant, which she says is just ironing out a few small things before its ready to go. She adds that once the pandemic is over, the building will be open for tours.

Smook explains that residents and businesses will likely see changes to their water bill, as the Public Utilities Board told the city the water and sewer rates have to pay for everything that goes into the plant.

She adds that the city is trying to find ways to mitigate the increase, and that an update on that will be provided in the next few months.

When talking about the TRCC, Smook says that while the ice is still in, the building itself has been closed.

She stated the hope is that restrictions will be relaxed in the New Year and the rec centre can be open if people follow the public health orders now/

Smook says the city has been short staffed in other departments, so the Rec Department employees have been reassigned to cover those shortages, and adds that there have not been any layoffs.

She goes on to say that staff in the under-manned departments is expected to be back after the new year, and the city hopes that the TRCC employees will be back at the centre by then and that there are no plans for layoffs.

The Thompson RCMP, along with students from the schools in town, continued their annual initiative to encourage everyone to drive sober this holiday season.

Students from the School District of Mystery Lake and Ecole La Voie du Nord decorated approximately two thousand paper bags, with messages including “Happy Holidays”, “Don’t Drink and Drive”, and “Merry Christmas”.

In a statement, Constable Sandy Deibert says while this holiday season will look different than what we’re used to, residents are urged to make it a safe one by not drinking and driving and or being a distracted driver.

Deibert advices people to plan their trip and have a designated driver for those who intend on drinking alcohol, and goes on to say the best decisions are made sober.

As a way to help seniors in the community who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thompson Seniors Community Resource Council has started a new project to help some of them put food on the table for the next few months.

Their “Food on the Table for Winter” initiative will deliver food hampers weekly to 10 seniors in the community who are on a low income or have mobility issues from now until the end of March.

Chair of the council Linda Dearman said in a press release that the reason they came up with the concept is because they recognize that to stay healthy, seniors need to eat regularly and have access to healthy food choices.

The council was able to fund the initiative thanks to a donation from the Thompson Community Foundation, and was developed with the help from the Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship centre.

To help Santa find his way around Thompson this holiday season, the city’s Rec Department is organizing a Christmas Eve Jingle.

At 6 p.m. on December 24^th, those interested in participating are asked to go outside their yard and ring a bell for two minutes.

If you don’t have a bell, other kinds of instruments are welcome to join, or if you require bells, the Rec Department will have a limited number for curbside pick up on Wednesday and Thursday.

If residents have bells they’d like to donate, call Events Coordinator Darlene Dick at 677-7969.

Visit the Thompson Rec at Home Facebook page for more info, or tune in to Thompson Today this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10.

Three Thompsonites were taken into custody after cocaine was seized in a drug bust.

Thompson RCMP executed a search warrant on Tuesday at a  residence on Fox Bay.

As a result, 76 grams of coke was found, along with illicit pills and drug-related paraphernalia.

Three suspects, two men ages 18 and 51 and a 21-year-old woman were arrested in response to this investigation.

They are to appear in court next month on charges of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking.

The investigation continues.

Manitoba Premier Brain Pallister says planning for the COVID-19 vaccination program has been underway for months and they are ready to receive the first doses as early as next week. 

He says they’re going to be focusing their initial efforts on those most at risk including seniors, those working in the health care system with seniors and others, long term care facilities, Indigenous people First Nations and Metis. 

He notes the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be enough to vaccinate 900 people to be administered to frontline health care workers in our province’s four critical care units.  He says the COVID-19 vaccination task force is working on delivery, priority populations, immunization clinics, logistics and monitoring.

Pallister adds there is a limited supply of this vaccine available so we cannot let our guard down and must continue to follow the fundamentals. He notes more details on how the program will proceed will be announced as they develop.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported 325 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon with a five day test positivity rate of 13.7 percent. 

He also reported 12 additional deaths including six in Winnipeg one each in Prairie Mountain and Interlake Eastern and two each in Southern and Northern Health regions which were a man in his 90s as well as a woman in her 80s who was linked to the outbreak at Acute Care Inpatient Unit of The Pas Health Complex at St. Anthony’s General Hospital.

Roussin announced they have made changes in statistics noting every daily bulletin has a report of active cases which is intended to reflect the number of cases actively isolating either in the community or in the hospital. 

He says starting today they have made changes to improve the accuracy of that information as they have reviewed the older cases and closed a number of them to more accurately reflect those individuals who have recovered and this  allowed them to remove more than four thousand cases from active and list them as recovered.

Of the total 19,131 reported cases 5462 are active, 13,262 have recovered, 310 are in hospital with 39 in intensive care and related deaths total 407.

On December 2, 2020, at approximately 7:30 pm, Cross Lake RCMP along with Police Dog Services and Manitoba North District Crime Reduction Enforcement Support Team (CREST), executed a search warrant at a residence in the New Alberts Lake area of the community.

Officers seized a significant amount of Canadian currency, approximately 2 kilograms of cocaine, approximately 280 grams of cannabis, a shotgun, weapons and drug paraphernalia.

Five adults, all from the community, were arrested at the residence.

Ray Ross, 27, has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Unsafe Storage of Firearms, Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose, Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm, and Possessing Cannabis for the Purpose of Selling- under the Cannabis Act. He was remanded into custody.

Three males aged, 19, 24 and 25, along with a female, 24, will also be facing the same charges.  They were released and are scheduled to appear in court.

Cross Lake RCMP continue to investigate.

Manitoba Chief Public Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported 318 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon with a five day test positivity rate of 13.4 percent. 

He also reported nine additional deaths with four in the Winnipeg region, two each in Southern Health and Prairie Mountain and one in Interlake Eastern health region.

Of the 18,069 reported cases 9172 are considered active, 8535 people have recovered and 361 are in hospital with 55 in intensive care.

Chief Nursing Officer Linette Siragusa says she can’t emphasize the effect these numbers are having on their staff throughout the system.

She explains while the overall case numbers that we’re seeing in the province are starting to stabilize somewhat the admissions to hospital and critical care continue and it’s a scary thought to think about what would happen if we don’t have the restrictions and if Manitobans weren’t doing their part so they want to thank everyone for  everything they have done so far.

Of the 318 new cases 200 are in the Winnipeg region and 54 in Southern Health with lower numbers in other regions, including 30 in Northern Health Region.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced 367 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon. 

Roussin also reported 12 additional deaths including five each in the Winnipeg and Southern health regions and one each in the Interlake Eastern and Northern health regions. 

Of the new cases, 211 were in the Winnipeg region, 57 in Southern health, 48 in Northern health and smaller numbers in other regions. 

Of the 17, 750 reported cases, 9, 129 are considered active, 8, 268 people have recovered, 357 are in hospital with 52 in intensive care and related deaths are now at 353.

Public Health also reported the outbreaks declared at The Pas Homeless Shelter Oscar’s Place as well as the Victoria General Hospital unit five north and five south in Winnipeg have been declared over.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported 282 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon, with a five day test positivity rate of 13.1 per cent.  Roussin also reported 16 additional deaths, including ten in the Winnipeg region, four in Southern health and two in Prairie Mountain health region. 

He pointed out they’ve said it and it’s certainly true and always will be true that restrictions are tough, pandemics are tough and they’re asking a lot of people to avoid things that they feel are very important to them, things that are very difficult even in the short term as the situation we are in is critical. Roussin elaborates that hospitals are reaching capacity, our health care workers are overwhelmed, so they are asking Manitobans to step up in the short term.

Of the total new cases, 178 are in the Winnipeg region and 54 in Southern health, with lower numbers in other regions including 22 in Northern health.

The total number of confirmed cases is 17, 107 with 9, 066 considered active, and 7, 713 have recovered with 338 on hospital.

Currently, there are 465 active cases of COVID-19 in the Northern Health Region, with 32 in the Thompson/Mystery Lake District. There are 19 hospitalizations in the north, with three in ICU.

On Nov. 26 at approximately 7:20 pm, Thompson RCMP executed a Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority search warrant at a residence on Hudson Bay in Thompson. Police had been investigating the illegal sale of alcohol from the residence. The suspects had been purchasing liquor legally and then selling it at a significant markup.

RCMP seized approximately 55 bottles of hard liquor as well as 10 cases of beer. A further search warrant at a residence on Martin Bay resulted in the seizure of 72 grams of marijuana, which is more than what is permitted for personal use, and further evidence of the illegal sale of alcohol.

Two women, 21 and 22, and two men, 24 and 43, all from Thompson, face numerous charges. They have been released.

The investigation continues.

The winter term at University College of the North has been delayed by two weeks to curb the spread of COVID-19.

UCN’s Vice President of Academics and Research Dan Smith explains the change was made to help ensure students and staff returning from the holiday break are healthy, citing the spike in COVID cases after the Thanksgiving weekend.

UCN’s original first day of class for the winter term was January 4^th, which means classes would begin in the second week after Christmas when the incubation period for COVID-19 would be ending and symptoms may appear.

The institution says that while a majority of courses at UCN are being offered remotely, a small number of students are taking classes in person where there is essential, hands-on training required, like in nursing programs.

The new start date is now Monday, January 18^th.

After the third round of COVID-19 testing which concluded last week, Manitoba Hydro says it has no new confirmed cases to report.

Hydro states that between Tuesday and Thursday of last week, 617 tests were administered at the construction site.

This follows the additional measures put in place at Keeyask after a positive case was reported in late October.

Since then, 39 cases were confirmed following the initial positive test, which have since recovered.

Dave Bowen, the director of the Keeyask project, explains that Hydro is happy to see no new cases arise from this latest round of testing, but adds that it’s aware the chance of cases emerging is still a possibility given the current numbers in the province.