Health officials remind Manitobans of importance of staying home even though COVID-19 vaccine is becoming available

WINNIPEG -- Manitoba health officials are cautioning residents that even though a vaccine for COVID-19 is starting to become available, precautions still need to be taken in the fight against COVID-19.

Dr. Jazz Atwal, the acting deputy chief provincial public health officer, said on Wednesday that the isolation of cases and contacts remains important to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

“You need to avoid contact with other people, even in your own household,” Atwal said. “You need to stay at home and use a separate bathroom. If you do have to share a bathroom, you need to clean that bathroom afterward on every single occasion.

“If food is required, it's best food is brought to your room, avoid common areas. If you do have to leave for any sort of reason to go to essential medical appointments, you should wear a medical mask and take the precautions that are necessary.”

Atwal said in recent days, public health staff has been informing the province that people are not self-isolating when they’re named as close contacts, and people who have tested positive for COVID-19 are not being forthcoming in sharing information about where they have travelled, and their close contacts.

Atwal said people need to be honest with public health officials to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

“There is no shame in getting the virus, no shame in getting COVID-19, there should be no shame in identifying who you have been with, even if you did breach the public health advice,” he said. “We're trying to educate the population as much as possible.

“Realistically, we've used this term before; no tool is off limits here, so you know there is ongoing work being done to determine what we can do to facilitate individuals to be honest with public health to reduce that risk within the province.”

Atwal said seeing the first vaccines being administered on Wednesday was a “surreal” moment, but said people still need to adhere to the public health orders and advice.

“Our hospitals still have a number of people in them. It's the highest number of hospitalizations in total,” he said. “We still have cases being generated, we have communities in Manitoba that are struggling with significant outbreaks. We still need to adhere to those public health messages. We still need people to stay at home.”