'A fourth wave will be coming': Province's top doctor says Manitobans need to be prepared
Manitoba's top doctor says a fourth wave of the pandemic is coming, and is telling Manitobans to be prepared and get vaccinated.
Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, said in the past season, the province barely saw any influenza or RSV cases. Come the fall, he said that will change.
"I think this fall we need to expect to see a resurgence of those alongside COVID and the Delta variant or another variant by that time," he said.
"We're unsure of what it will look like, but a fourth wave will be coming."
Roussin said he has seen other jurisdictions where the Delta variant—a more transmissible variant first identified in India—has become the dominant strain. He said it’s a concern here in Manitoba.
According to the province's most recent update on Saturday, 207 cases have been linked to the Delta variant. However, only five of these cases are considered active.
"We don't seem to see widespread transmission of this variant," he said, adding there is a risk it could spread and become the dominant strain in Manitoba.
"That's why we're stressing a fully vaccinated Manitoba. That's why we still have some public health restrictions in place, and we'll be loosening them cautiously over time.”
He said the province needs to be prepared for a fourth wave to make sure the health care system is not overwhelmed.
"We need to pay attention to this virus but at the same time, we've put ourselves in a position to continue our reopening plans as per schedule and even ahead of schedule because Manitobans have been getting out and vaccinated.”
Roussin said public health is working towards a post-pandemic Manitoba, but pointed out this does not mean it will be a post-COVID Manitoba.
"We're going to see COVID cases, we're going to see COVID admissions to hospital and to ICU moving forward," he said. "We're going to be living with COVID like we live with influenza and we're going to have to do whatever we can do to protect ourselves from those viruses."
Roussin said the plan is as more Manitobans are fully vaccinated to move away from public health restrictions, opting instead for public health advice.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.