Manitoba public health reported 67 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 4.3 percent. 

They also reported one additional death in the Winnipeg region.  Of the new cases 31 are in Winnipeg region and 30 in Northern health with single digits in other regions.

Of the total 31,657 reported cases 1206 are considered active, 29,563 individuals have recovered and 196 are in hospital with 26 in intensive care.

The Manitoba government has projected spending of over 154 million dollars from the Safe Schools Fund during the 2020-21 school year to help bolster staffing, prioritize health and safety and support learning and technology.

MKO is calling on all levels of government to take “urgent action” in addressing homelessness in the province.

Grand Chief Garrison Settee says a significant number of people from MKO First Nations live off reserve in both rural and urban settings, and that more needs to be done to respond to this issue both on and off reserve.

Settee adds that the lack of housing in First Nations leads to hidden homelessness and overcrowded housing.

Some solutions he shared to help address this issue include providing people experiencing homelessness with community resources and supports such as counselling and harm reduction programs.

Settee says MKO acknowledges the work volunteers and front line workers who have been working to ensure people experiencing homelessness are being cared for during the pandemic, and states municipal, provincial, and federal officials need to step up and show increased leadership on this issue.

Manitoba public health reported only 39 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 4.6 percent.  They also reported one additional death in Winnipeg. 

Manitoba’s Medical Lead in the Vaccine Implementation Task Force Dr. Joss Reimer announced appointments for vaccines can now be made by people over the age of 95 and for First Nations people over 75. 

She explains appointments can be made on the phone but this can be challenging for some people so they’ve made sure that the call centre is aware they are now allowing caregivers to make appointments as well as to accompany their loved ones to the clinics to provide support. 

Those calling will need to provide the numbers on their health card and people who are eligible can call 1-844-626-8222 to make an appointment.

Of the new cases reported 23 are in Winnipeg and ten in Northern health with single digits in other regions.  Of the total 31,590 reported cases 1196 are considered active and 29,507 individuals have recovered.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported 97 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 5.4 percent. 

He also announced two additional deaths both in the Winnipeg region.  Of the new cases 54 are in Winnipeg and 36 in the Northern health region with single digits in other regions. 

Of the total 31,483 reported cases 1219 are active, 29,378 individuals have recovered and 206 are in hospital with 32 in intensive care. 

Roussin noted there are no new confirmed cases related to the COVID variants of concern other than the four recoveries related to travel previously reported.

A press release from the City of Thompson states it’s looking at options to reopen recreational services at the TRCC.

With new public health orders published and clarified, the facilities coordinator with the city is reaching out to established users of the arenas to figure out ways they can use the space without impeding on the current public health orders.

The city is also looking at ways they can isolate the fitness centre from the vaccination clinics that it oversees, which is critical given the importance of ventilation in reducing the risk of transmission.

The city goes on to says public health remains their top priority when it comes to facility opening and it will provide an update when staff has reviewed the feedback from ice users.

Manitoba Hydro has announced the first unit at the Keeyask Generating Station went into service earlier this week.

The crown company explains the first unit is entering service six months ahead of schedule, and the project is on track to meet its eight-point-seven billion dollar budget.

Hydro says there are roughly six hundred people currently working at the site to bring the six other units into service.

It states each line will be brought on line one-by-one over the next year.

When it’s complete, the company says Keeyask would be the fourth largest generating station in Manitoba.

Following an outbreak that was declared in Pimicikamak Cree Nation, MKO says their Mobile Crisis Response Team remains available to First Nations communities as the pandemic continues.

The organization’s Grand Chief Garrison Settee says they recognize the toll this situation is having on the mental health of community members.

Settee adds that while access to the COVID-19 vaccine provides hope, the number of doses remain low.

Cross Lake Chief David Monias says roughly 32 households are affected by the outbreak, which is attributed to lack of housing in the community.

Monias adds the Rapid Response Team is helping them with COVID-19 testing, and the team is working from 8 in the morning to midnight trying to keep up.

First Nations can expect a second allotment of the Moderna vaccine to arrive beginning next week.

Property owners in Thompson invested in nearly eleven-point-five million dollars in construction last year.

This is up slightly from 2019, which saw an investment of just over eleven million dollars.

A statement from the city explains the value of residential alterations tripled to nearly 879 thousand dollars across 48 projects in 2020, compared to 272, 685 dollars the year prior.

Investment in commercial properties alterations was over seven million dollars for 21 projects, with one new commercial project seeing an investment of 864 thousand dollars.

Public institutions including schools saw one-point-six million dollars in investments.

Mayor Colleen Smook says the city is excited to see Thompsonites investing back into their community and lives, despite being stuck at home due to the pandemic.

As a way to help artists across the province to have a chance to perform during the pandemic, the Manitoba Arts Network will be launching an online concert series this weekend.

The network’s executive director Rose-Anne Harder says The Stay Safe at Home Festival concerts will be held every Sunday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. beginning on February 21^st, and will run until March 31^st.

Harder adds that there are a variety of performances on display, including theatre, dance, circus, and music.

The concerts can be viewed live on the Manitoba Arts Network Facebook page.

Catch Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon for the full interview.

Winterfest is on the way, and will be done virtually.

Darlene Dick, the Events Coordinator with the City of Thompson, explains some of the activities they had to workshop to ensure physical distancing was the annual pancake breakfast and the fireworks display.

Other activities include the photo contest, the Rudy the Raven Scavenger Hunt, and the Snowman Contest where participants use recycled material to build a snowman.

This year, Winterfest will be held February 26^th to the 28^th.

Listen to the full interview on Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon.

Or visit thompson Winterfest Dot com.

Manitoba public health reported 178 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday and Sunday bringing the five day test positivity rate to 5.2 percent. 

There was no report sent on Monday. They also reported four additional deaths with five in Winnipeg and one in Interlake Eastern. 

Of the new cases 83 were in the Northern region and 73 in Winnipeg with lower numbers in other regions. 

Of the total 30,766 reported cases 1619 are active, 28,276 individuals have recovered and 226 are in hospital with 26 in intensive care. 

Public Health and Chief and Council in Cross Lake are working to address concerning number of cases in the community.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced 81new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 4.8 percent.

He also reported four additional deaths all in the Winnipeg region. Of the new cases 28 are in Southern Health, 25 in Northern health and 20 in the Winnipeg region with single digits in the other regions. 

Roussin noted they continue to screen for variants of the virus so he can confirm that with all of their screening and sequencing to date they have only discovered the one case of a variant of concern. 

He added they have limited contacts to that case, household contacts, none of which have developed symptoms or tested positive and all those contacts have been tested twice at this point.

Of the total 30, 588 reported COVID cases, 1, 582 are considered active, 28, 140 individuals have recovered, and 240 people are in hospital with 29 are in intensive care. 

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has announced the government has agreed to purchase two million doses of a new Canadian researched and Manitoba produced mRNA COVID-19 vaccine currently undergoing clinical trials. 

He says we are reliant on the federal government buying vaccines from pharmaceutical companies located offshore with the result Canadians receive needed vaccines slower than 50 other counties. 

He noted this vaccine will provide insurance against COVID, insurance against sickness, its insurance potentially against death, insurance against COVID closures, insurance against COVID economic loss, insurance against another pandemic, insurance against another year like we just went through.

The first clinical trials are underway with the second round anticipated to begin this spring and Health Canada approval is expected later this year.  The agreement will ensure Manitoba receives the first 200 thousand doses as soon as it is approved for sale in Canada.

A Canadian initiative aiming to end violence against women and children is holding their annual event Fe. 11

, which will be done virtually.

Co-founder Raven Lacerte says the idea for the Moose Hide Campaign came to her and her father and co-founder Paul Lacerte during a hunting trip in 2011.

The idea was to encourage men and boys to wear a patch of moose hide to show their commitment to stand up against violence against women and children.

The virtual Moose Hide Campaign Day will include keynote speakers, hearing from Elders, workshops, and the opportunity to take part in a one-day fast.

Visit moosehidecampaign.ca for more information.

In her latest report, Thompson’s MLA accused the provincial government for not listening to northern Manitobans when it comes to COVID-19 vaccination plans and business support decisions.

Danielle Adams points to the vaccine site at the Thompson Regional Airport as one of these decisions, explaining many northern communities are long distances away from vaccine supersites.

Adams says that the government’s plan should instead focus on bringing vaccines to people, not the other way around.

She asserts that government didn’t provide the supports businesses needed when the province was under strict measures, and that they’re not doing enough to keep skilled workers here in the north.

Adams ends her report by saying that the NDP is holding a virtual town hall with a focus on small business, and encourages constituents to participate. A date and time for the town hall has not yet been announced.

Email danielle.adams@yourmanitoba.ca for more information

To commemorate Black History Month, the Boys and Girls Club of Thompson has released a series which chronicles the experiences of black Thompsonites.

The club’s community engagement coordinator and the host of the interviews Faiza Alabi explains she began producing the series after she noticed a lack of conversation surrounding Black History Month in the community in years past.

Alabi adds that she knew community members who would be interested in sharing their stories after coming across a similar project online.

The Black History Month interview series is available on the Boys and Girls Club of Thompson Facebook page, where a new interview is added every Monday and Friday.

A letter was sent to parents and guardians of RD Parker students on Friday after at least one COVID-19 case was confirmed by public health.

The letter explains the case was confirmed to be in the school on January 28 and 29 and February 1^st and 2^nd in the L to Z cohort when they may have been infectious.

The school is working closely with public health officials and is following their recommendations.

The letter goes on to state that close contacts have been identified and are advised to self-isolate.

The Manitoba government has provided more than sixty million dollars to regional health authorities to cover COVID-19 related costs incurred over the first two quarters of 2020-21. 

They also announced the public school system will see an increase in the Funding of Schools Program for 2021-22 school year of 20.8 million dollars or 1.56 percent.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced 110 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate down to six percent. 

He also announced one additional death in the Winnipeg region. 

Of the new cases, 40 are in the Northern region and 38 in Winnipeg, with lower numbers in other regions. 

Roussin noted they are working in the Northern Health Region to bring their numbers down.  The number of active cases in the Thompson/Mystery Lake District is at 110.

Of the total 30, 078 reported cases, 3, 353 are considered active, and 25, 887 individuals have recovered.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reports the province is looking for your input on the next step in reopening our economy. 

He listed some of the proposed changes to public health orders being considered. 

That includes allowing food services including restaurants and lounges to re-open to 25 percent capacity with closure time of 10pm, along with allowing personal services including nail salons and tattoo parlors to re-open at 25 percent capacity with adequate physical distancing and protective measures.

The province could also allow places of worship to re-open at a maximum of ten percent capacity with a cap of 50 people whichever is lower, as well as libraries to open at a maximum of 25 percent capacity with any group limited to households only.

Another proposed change would be allowing organized outdoor sports to resume for games or practices, however multi-team tournaments would not be allowed.

These proposed changes and others could come into effect at the end of next week following your input which can be provided at engagemb.ca.

A Manitoba resident is taking the province to court to get the government to change its legislation to allow Manitobans to grow their own pot at home.

Jesse Lavoie, is challenging a section of The Liquor, Gaming, and Cannabis Control Act, which bans the cultivation of cannabis in a home residence for personal use, which he filed an application for in August 2020.

Lavoie argues the legislation  is unconstitutional because it encroaches on federal authority over criminal law.

He states that Manitobans being allowed to grow their own pot would lead to more tax revenues in the government’s pockets and would decrease sales for the black market.

Lavoie filed his responding expert affidavit evidence to court last week which includes testimony from researchers and experts in the cannabis industry, and has also received the support from the Green and Liberal Parties of Manitoba.

For the full interview with Lavoie, catch Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10.

Manitoba Acting Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Jazz Atwal announced 126 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon. 

He also announced three additional deaths with two in Winnipeg and one in Southern health.              

Atwal said they are reviewing the public health orders, and the level of success we see during the modest re-opening will determine the amount we are able to open as these orders expire. If people are thinking of skirting the orders you’re not only putting yourself at risk, but you and those you gather with are impacting the re-opening process. 

He adds we all need to continue to make these sacrifices in the short term so we can be safe in the long term.

Of the new cases 55 are in the Northern health region, 32 in Winnipeg, and 24 in Interlake Eastern with single digits in the other regions.

Of the total reported cases 3, 358 are active, 25, 665 individuals have recovered, and 260 are in hospital with 34 in intensive care.

The vaccine super site in Thompson opened on Monday and pop up sites will launch in Flin Flon and The Pas next week to provide vaccines to eligible health care workers but they report all first dose appointments at the three sites have been booked.

Manitoba public health announced 83 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 7.6 percent.  They also reported that due to a data reset, there are no deaths being reported, noting the reset puts into place additional checks and balances, increases consistencies and improves regional data.

Of the new cases 53 are in the Northern health region and 18 in Winnipeg with single digits in other regions.

Of the total 29, 733 reported cases, 3, 421 are considered active, 25, 480 individuals have recovered, and 254  are in hospital with 36 in intensive care.

The government has been working with its existing network of physicians and pharmacist flu vaccination partners to prepare for the rollout of new vaccines once they are approved for use in Canada.

At this time approval dates and supply volumes for the vaccines that do not require special handling and transport are speculative.

With an outbreak declared at Wapanohk Community School, the School District of Mystery Lake says it was not caused by in-school transmission, but rather through household transmission.

Co-Superintendent Lorie Henderson explains the outbreak was declared because of the high activity in households that have school-aged children that attend Wapanohk.

Henderson elaborates that over the past month, several cases were students that were related to household transmission, leaving many students out of school self-isolating and many others taking part in remote learning.

She says that Public Health declared the outbreak to formally support Wapanohk School early efforts to address rising community cases.

Henderson adds that the school had moved to remote learning since January 18^th, which has been extended to this Friday and will be re-evaluated at that time.

The school district goes on to ask that everyone continues to follow public health orders, and anyone experiencing symptoms or having questions should contact Health Links.

The COVID-19 vaccine site is now open in Thompson as of yesterday.

The TRCC is being utilized to distribute vaccines to local patients, while the Thompson Regional Airport is for people from remote outlying communities, but is not open at this time.

Victor Kitzul, a 74-year-old part-time cast technician at The Pas Health Complex, was one of the first people to be inoculated at the TRCC, and says everyone who is able to get the vaccine should do so.

Dylan Stacey, a Health Care Aid at the Thompson General Hospital and a nursing student, also got the vaccine, and encouraged people to get one, stating that he wouldn’t tell people to do something he wouldn’t do himself.

The province says a small number of appointments remain available in Thompson eligible health care providers, and that they’re now taking appointments for the two pop-up sites that are opening in Flin Flon and The Pas next week.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported 87 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon, bringing the five day test positivity rate to 7.9 percent. 

He also reported three additional deaths with two in Southern health and one in Winnipeg.

Roussin says in the last two weeks they have seen significant travel from the Northern Health Region to obtain non-essential goods, so in an attempt to reduce that they are going to eliminate the essential list in the Northern Health Region. That way all retail stores can remain open and won’t be limited by the non-essential list.  The 25 percent capacity with a maximum of 250 will remain.

This comes into effect at 11:59 tonight until February 12^th, when the restrictions for the whole province are reviewed.

Of the total new cases, 42 are in the Northern health region, 22 in Interlake Eastern and 18 in Winnipeg with single digits in other regions.

Of the total 29, 651 reported cases, 3, 466 are active, 25, 353 individuals have recovered, and 255 are in hospital with 38 in intensive care.