Federal ask for COVID-19 help in Manitoba an extension: province
The federal government has extended the stay of nurses in Manitoba helping hospitals handle the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday, Bill Blair, Minister of Emergency Preparedness, tweeted that Manitoba had requested federal assistance for its health-care system.
The province and the Canadian Red Cross have since clarified that the request was to extend the stay of a trio of nurses already in the province helping out.
In a phone call with CTV News, Jason Small, the senior communications manager for the Canadian Red Cross for Manitoba and Nunavut said a handful of Red Cross nurses from across the country have been deployed at Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg since the end of December.
At the most, there were eight nurses; the number is down to three. Small explained essentially the contract for the remaining three nurses has been extended another two weeks until March 15th.
Small clarified that more nurses are not being deployed to Manitoba.
“This is simply a request for continued support of human health resources (nurses) to augment Manitoba’s COVID-19 response,” reads a statement from a provincial spokesperson.
The statement went on to say that while Manitoba’s COVID-19 case counts and hospitalization numbers continue to trend downwards, intensive care units and acute care centres continue to be a few weeks behind those trends.
“We appreciate the assistance from the federal government as we continue to add capacity in our health system to ensure Manitobans get the care they need, for COVID and other medical matters.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Canada adds fewer jobs than expected in October, wages rise
Canada added lower-than-expected 14,500 jobs in October and wages of permanent employees rose, data showed on Friday, as the economy grappled to absorb the slack built up due to a rapidly rising population amid an overheated market.
Time limits were meant to speed up justice. They also halt hundreds of criminal cases
Supporters say the so-called Jordan ruling has sped up proceedings and strengthened Charter rights for prompt justice. But the legacy of Jordan is mixed, and some victims say the time limits work in criminals' favour.
Oven to be removed from Halifax store where employee died: Walmart
Walmart says a large bakery oven will be removed from the Halifax store where an employee died last month.
Prince William describes family's 'brutal' year as wife and father faced cancer treatment
Prince William has described the past year as "brutal" following cancer diagnoses for his wife and father. "Honestly, it's been dreadful," he said.
Three charged in One Direction singer Liam Payne's death
Three people have been charged in relation to One Direction singer Liam Payne's death in a fall from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, Argentine authorities said on Thursday.
National rent prices decline year-over-year for first time since pandemic: report
Average asking rents declined nationally on a year-over-year basis for the first time in more than three years in October, said a report out Thursday.
Another beluga whale dies at Marineland, Ontario says water quality is 'acceptable'
Three weeks after the death of another beluga whale at Marineland, the Ontario government is speaking publicly about its ongoing investigation of the park, saying water troubles are under control after a recent investment.
RCMP already 'on high alert' for potential wave of migrants after Trump election
Canada's federal police force has been preparing for months on a contingency plan for a potential massive influx of migrants across the border following Trump's promise of 'mass deportations' of millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
Sparks fly as MPs question minister on pension implications of proposed election date change
Sparks flew at a parliamentary committee Thursday as MPs questioned Canada's democratic institutions minister about a widely opposed provision in electoral reform legislation that seeks to delay the next fixed election date by one week.