Evacuees from northern communities are now leaving the RBC Convention Centre. But they aren't going home just yet.
Instead, the Canadian Red Cross is consolidating the roughly 300 evacuees still without hotels, at the soccer complex on Leila.
"The numbers have dictated that." said Shawn Feely from the Canadian Red Cross.
But while their address is changing, something else isn't: the threat of mumps.
"We've had eight suspected (cases) here in Winnipeg," said Dr. Richard Rusk, Medical Officer of Health. "And one suspected out in Brandon." Those people have been isolated in hotel rooms.
The mumps outbreak is being felt outside the emergency shelter too. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers had planned on hosting about 500 evacuees Thursday to take in a practice, have a meal and meet some of the players. But those plans were tackled by mumps.
The football club said the event was being postponed due to an outbreak of mumps in Manitoba and in the emergency shelters. In a statement, a spokesperson writes "we are incredibly disappointed we cannot host the evacuees who have been displaced from their homes. However, the safety of guests, fans, and players is the top priority of the Winnipeg Football Club when hosting events at the stadium."
Rusk says our province's mumps numbers have been dropping overall. However, he says our vaccination numbers aren't where he would like them to be.
Manitoba has a 75-percent completion rate. Rusk says 90-percent would be ideal.
