State of emergency extended in Manitoba for what could be the final time
The Manitoba government is once again extending the state of emergency that was put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, this could be the final extension.
Minister Ron Schuler made the announcement Tuesday, noting the extension will come into effect on Wednesday at 4 p.m. and will be in place for 30 days.
"We will continue to adapt and respond to the pandemic, but we need Manitobans to continue to follow the fundamentals to ensure we can move forward on the path of a post-pandemic recovery," Schuler said in a release.
In an interview with CTV News Winnipeg on Tuesday, Schuler said this could be the last extension as the state of emergency is “purely symbolic” at this point.
He added that Manitoba is in a health emergency, not a state of emergency.
“In the last 18 months we’ve basically moved what we needed to into regulation and covered it off with legislation,” the minister explained.
“So we don’t really need a state of emergency. Out of an abundance of caution, we’re going to extend it one more time, so this will be the 19th extension of a state of emergency of the original.”
Schuler noted after this extension, the discussion will begin on whether the province should just let it expire.
He said the province does not want to send the wrong message, as Manitoba is still in a health emergency, but it may no longer require the state of emergency.
“We think that we, at some point in time, are going to come out of this and we don’t really need the state of emergency right now to get there,” Schuler said.
He said he is a “little uncomfortable” that Manitoba keeps extending the state of emergency, adding that perhaps it’s time to let it expire because “it really has nothing underneath it.”
Schuler said the province will need to complete an assessment and see what the public thinks, noting they don’t want to scare anyone.
“Perhaps by extending it, people are unnecessarily alarmed,” he said.
“On the other hand, we don’t want to send the wrong message that everything is okay.”
The state of emergency was originally declared on March 20, 2020.
- With files from CTV’s Jon Hendricks and Kayla Rosen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.