Manitoba’s vaccine mandates likely to stay in place until next year: Roussin
The province is reminding people to keep their proof of COVID-19 vaccination cards handy, as vaccine mandates will be sticking around in Manitoba until next year.
During a media briefing on Monday, Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, said current vaccine mandates will likely stay in effect into the new year.
“Given the state of our health-care system and the demands that respiratory virus season will be likely to put on it, it’s very likely we’ll have to take us through this winter,” said Dr. Roussin.
Currently, Manitobans need to show proof of vaccination for entrance into certain public places, such as gyms, sporting events, concerts, and restaurants. In addition, there are vaccine requirements for employees in certain sectors like health-care and education.
With a third COVID-19 booster shot now being recommended for some Manitobans, the province said not having one won’t affect an individual’s ability to get a vaccine card.
Roussin said there are no immediate plans to make third vaccine doses a requirement to get a vaccination card.
If it were, it would take an unvaccinated person about seven months to be eligible to receive a vaccine card because the third dose is only recommended six months after an individual’s second dose.
Right now, it is only a recommendation for a select portion of the population, including health-care workers, personal care home residents, and First Nations people living on reserve.
“In all of the eligible people now for a third dose, it’s a recommendation to them providing the reasons why," he said, adding it's not impacting their current status as fully vaccinated.
Roussin said following several large events in Winnipeg, including several NHL and CFL games, health officials have not been able to tie any transmission to those events but noted there’s some complexity in linking cases to the events.
“With our relatively low numbers in Winnipeg we would be able to pick up on trends if people were cooperative with the contact tracing,” said Roussin.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.