Manitoba makes changes to public health orders due to heat wave
The Manitoba government is easing some of its public health orders in order to help people stay cool during the current heat wave.
These changes come as Environment Canada issued a heat warning for several parts of the province, saying, “very hot temperatures are pushing their way through southern Manitoba from the west.”
The weather agency noted that temperatures will hit the low 30s on Thursday and will be “extremely hot” on Friday and Saturday. The overnight lows will be in the teens.
Due to this forecast, the Manitoba government said municipalities will temporarily be allowed to repurpose facilities, such as libraries and community centres, into cooling centres for vulnerable Manitobans.
The province noted that the changes to the public health orders also allow for outdoor pools or splash pads at hotels, campgrounds and private businesses to operate. However, restrictions on gatherings and interacting with people not in your household still apply.
The Manitoba government said anyone going to these facilities must be able to maintain at least two metres distance from other members of the public. It added that the facilities will have supervision and efforts will be made to make sure the public follows physical distancing and public health protocols. Enforcement officers will also be monitoring and recommending any adjustments.
These public health orders went into effect on June 2 at 2 p.m. and will remain in place until 12:01 a.m. on June 12.
The province added that municipalities can also consider providing the following services to help with the heat wave:
- Distributing bottled drinking water;
- Providing shade tents in priority areas;
- Operating transit buses as mobile cooling centres, where applicable; and
- Allowing drop-in and overnight shelters to provide expanded daytime hours during times of extreme heat.
Environment Canada reminds Manitobans that everyone is at risk when it comes to the effects of heat. However, during a time of prolonged heat, older adults, those with chronic illness, and people living alone are at particularly high-risk, especially if they live in an urban area or don’t have air conditioning. Others who are also at a high risk include infants and young kids, and people who work or exercise in the heat.
The weather agency urges people to take care of themselves and others, and check in with vulnerable or socially isolated people. It added that people or pets should never be left alone in a parked vehicle or direct sunlight and water should be provided.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
An apartment block collapses in a Russian border city after heavy shelling, injuring over a dozen
An apartment block partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday, leaving at least 19 injured. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were also likely deaths.
'Reimagining Mother's Day': Toronto woman creates Motherless Day event after losing mom
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Flash floods and cold lava flow hit Indonesia's Sumatra island. At least 37 people were killed
Heavy rains and torrents of cold lava and mud flowing down a volcano's slopes on Indonesia’s Sumatra island triggered flash floods that killed at least 37 people and more than a dozen others were missing, officials said Sunday.
Swiss fans get ready to welcome Eurovision winner Nemo back home
Swiss Eurovision fans were getting ready Sunday to give a hero's welcome to singer Nemo, who won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with "The Code," an operatic pop-rap ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing a nongender identity.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.