Thread by @bkives

Manitoba announced a record 480 new cases of #COVID19 on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020.

Active cases: 2,737
Total caseload: 5,374
Recovered: 2,572
Deaths: 65

Five-day Manitoba #COVID19 test-positivity rate: 8.6 per cent (new record)

Tests completed Thursday: 2,865

Manitoba #COVID19 patients in hospital: 104 (new record)
In ICU: 19

Awaiting details on three new deaths and an explanation for this devastating case count.

Winnipeg will be moved to red on the pandemic response system on Monday, Nov. 2.

Entire Winnipeg metro region, that is.

- Bars and restaurants will be closed except for take-out and delivery.
- Most retail will be reduced to 25 per cent capacity.
- Sports and recreation programming will be suspended.

More ...

- Gyms and fitness centres will have reduced capacity to 25 per cent and masks will be mandatory, even when exercising.
- Movie theatres and concert halls will close.
- Personal services have no change and stay at 50 per cent capacity..

- Non-urgent and elective surgeries and diagnostics will be suspended. Scheduled surgeries in a number of essential and time-sensitive areas will continue to be performed including cancer, cardiac and trauma. Patients will be contacted directly

- Visitation at all Manitoba hospitals has been suspended, with exceptions made on a case-by-case basis for patients receiving end-of-life care, in labour and delivery, as well as in pediatrics.
- Faith-based gatherings are reduced to 15 per cent or 100 people, whichever is lower

Southern Health=, Prairie Mountain Health and Interlake–Eastern health regions will move to orange on Monday.

Every region of province goes up to orange, while Winnipeg goes to red.

Southern, Interlake-Eastern and Prairie Mountain:

- Public and private group gathering sizes limited to five, in addition to household.
- Capacity limited to 50 per cent at restaurants and bars, with group sizes limited to five.
- Reduced retail capacity to 50 per cent

- Blended learning for grades 9 to 12, voluntary blended learning temporarily available for kindergarten to Grade 8, encouraging as much physical distancing as possible.
- Personal services have no change and stay at 50 per cent capacity.

- Reduced spectators at sports and recreation facilities to 25 per cent.
- Gyms and fitness centers require contact information for all attendees and mask use at all times, except when exercising.
- Faith-based gatherings are reduced to 20% or 250 people, whichever is lower.

The province is also "encouraging businesses in the Winnipeg Metro Region, including the public service, to have staff work from home wherever possible ..."

"And for residents to stay home when sick and take whatever action possible to reduce their contacts and otherwise gathering in public."

Roussin: This goes into effect Monday, but that doesn't stop you from taking action immediately.

No changes to school in Winnipeg metro region

Three more deaths at Parkview Place. This brings total there to 22.

Roussin says 480 cases announced today date back to Oct. 25, due to a backlog.

Most are from last two days, however.

Winnipeg test-positivity rate: 9.7 per cent.

Smaller sample size, though.

Outbreaks (numbers do not match private sources):

Parkview Place: 133 cases, 101 residents
Heritage Lodge: 20, 15 residents
Misericordia Place: 13, 8 residents
Maples PCH: 78, 68 residents
Victoria General: 34, 18 patients
St. Boniface: 25 total
Blumenort poultry plant: 58

Regional breakdown of new Manitoba #COVID19 cases:

• 309 Winnipeg
• 94 Southern
• 42 Interlake-Eastern
• 25 Northern
• 10 Prairie Mountain

Roussin reminds people the main way you get the virus is indoors, in close contact for a prolonged period of time.

Avoid this.

Shared Health systems lead Siragusa speaks.

Says she knows people are scared.

ICU capacity: 96 per cent

68 of 71 beds in use in Winnipeg, with 19 in use by #COVID19 patients

Siragusa:

Non-urgent surgeries and endoscopies will be cancelled.

99 surgeries cancelled so far.

Siragusa: Patients will be called if their surgeries are cancelled.

Siragusa: Home-care workers will wear protective equipment if visits must continue in person.

Siragusa: Visits to hospitals are personal care homes restricted in Winnipeg.

Designated caregivers can still visit PCHs after screening and given protective equipment. No general visitors or non-essential services. Exceptions on compassionate grounds.

Winnipeg-area hospitals:

No visits to in-patients, with some exceptions, including compassionate grounds.

Siragusa on creating more capacity in hospitals:

- Beds will be created outside hospital for least sick non-COVID patients

Siragusa: This will be accomplished within one week.

Says most equipment is in place. Staff will be moved into new space.

Siragusa: Cancellation/postponement of surgeries will free up beds and staff as well.

Those staff will be redeployed.

Siragusa: "We planned for this scenario in the spring. We never had to implement it."

Siragusa: Next step - redeploying staff - will take 2-3 weeks.

Some nurses will be freed up from swabbing sites once new trainess take over the testing.

Third step: Off-site expansion of hospitals.

Not for COVID patients. It would be for patients who still need care but are not as sick.

This would free up space for more seriously ill patients and COVID patients.

Context: Hospitalization numbers rise weeks after new cases are announced.

So hospitalization numbers are expected go up in November. Hence the need for more hospital capacity.

Siragusa: Despite all this, go to hospital if you need medical care.

Siragusa: No hospital system is built for this, but changes have to be made to accommodate coming changes.

Pleads with public to avoid gatherings and bring cases down.

"This won't be forever."

Roussin on keeping gatherings on five: Any less is not enforceable.

Roussin asked how Manitoba failed like this.

Gatherings created spread.

"There's no surprise with this virus."

Roussin: It's tough to limit gatherings below five and think you can enforce that.

Roussin: Manitoba has lost track how the virus is spread, so group gatherings have to go down ... including in faith-based settings.

Roussin: New orders in place for two weeks. For now.

Will then be reviewed.

Roussin: If we don't make dramatic changes, we're going to see our health-care system dramatically strained.

Roussin asked how close we are to shutting down schools.

He says school cases largely acquired in community. Little in-school spread. Schools are doing very well at controlling spread.

"We're going to try to keep schools going as long as it's safe."

Roussin asked why not put restrictions in place now? Why wait to Monday?

He says businesses need time to prepare to shut down.

[Example: Restaurants order food, which will spoil. Staff at all businesses need lead time.]

Roussin: "We know these restrictions work, but it does require the population to adhere to them."

But they didn't adhere in Winnipeg. Closing businesses takes away the option of being scofflaws.

Siragusa asked when flu cases will appear in hospitals. Symptoms similar to #COVID19 and most vulnerable population is the same.

Roussin: Not seeing any respiratory virus spread except #COVID19 at moment.

Roussin repeats MB can't enforce zero gatherings.

Says MB can't go house to house to check for guests.

Siragusa is now explaining again how health care workers can do a number of tasks.

Of today's 480 new cases, about half are result of the backlog:

2 identified Sunday
4 Monday
44 Tuesday
193 Wednesday
237 Thursday

Roussin: We can't have restrictions for a year.

Manitobans have to get it in their heads they have to associate with fewer people.

That is a paraphrase.

Roussin: Rest of case backlog will be completed in next two days.

Roussin to businesses that will close again Monday:

"You see the strain on the health-care system, we were left with no choice."

[Context: It doesn't matter that some new cases announced today were reported to authorities earlier than Thursday.

All new cases add to potential strain on health-care system in a few weeks.

480 new cases is 480 new cases.

Don't get spun.]

Roussin asked if he can confidently say how many people have COVID, given backlogs in contact tracing and testing.

He says he can confidently say how many people have tested positive.

Roussin asked to explain rationale of still allowing up to 100 people at faith-based gatherings in Winnipeg area.

Says there's always a balance. Notes it is 15% capacity or 100 people, whatever is lower.

Roussin on no new travel restrictions:

Travel is not a big vector.

The press briefing is over.

Happy Halloween, everybody.