Manitoba taking measured reopening approach, officials still concerned about Delta variant
Manitobans will have more freedoms starting on Saturday as the province announced its first steps of reopening.
Manitoba hit the first vaccination target early, but health officials said they still have concerns from about COVID-19 specifically, the Delta variant.
"While the case numbers are improving and our health-care system is seeing some relief, this pandemic is certainly not over," said Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer.
"The variants of concern, especially the Delta variant, is circulating and continues to be a concern."
As of Wednesday, there has been 164 cases of the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) in the province. Of these cases, 158 have recovered and four are considered active.
Two deaths have been linked to the Delta variant in Manitoba.
Roussin said the main push right now is to get Manitobans fully vaccinated with both doses, as that will help fight back against the Delta variant.
"We're not focused just on what percentage of Manitobans get the first dose, it's that second dose and you can see that's dramatically climbing," Roussin said.
He said the second dose uptake will continue to climb this week.
He added that Manitobans deserve to have loosened restrictions but noted this is still a measured approach.
Manitoba has had 14,749 variant of concern cases and there are currently 1,050 active cases.
There have been 7,880 unspecified variants, 6,413 cases of the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7.), 201 cases of the P.1 variant, 67 cases of the B.1.351 variant, 15 cases of the B.1.617.1 variant, and nine cases of the B.1.617. variant.
Manitoba has had 140 deaths linked to variants of concern.
Roussin said people need to continue to practise the fundamentals, noting this is the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and any of the variants.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.