252 patients in Manitoba hospitals with COVID-19 Wednesday as case counts soar
CBC
There are now 252 people with COVID-19 in Manitoba hospitals, an increase of one, as case counts continue to soar, health officials said Wednesday.
The province reports 1,790 new COVID-19 cases and two more deaths on Wednesday. The total number of deaths in the province related to COVID-19 is now 1,402.
The number of reported active cases in Manitoba is now 18,844.
More to come
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Health officials in Manitoba are scheduled to give an update Wednesday on COVID-19 and vaccinations after the province reported nearly 3,500 cases over the past two days.
CBC Manitoba will live stream the 12:30 p.m. news conference here, on Facebook and on CBC Gem.
Dr. Jazz Atwal, deputy chief provincial public health officer, will be joined by Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead of Manitoba's COVID-19 vaccine implementation task force.
Manitoba's online dashboard posted 1,757 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, after reporting 1,721 on Monday.
The five-day test positivity rate for Manitoba was 39.5 per cent as of Tuesday. A month earlier it was just above five per cent.
In light of the rising cases, primarily driven by the Omicron variant, the provincial government announced Tuesday that most students from kindergarten to Grade 12 will do one week of remote learning after the holiday break, which already had been extended two days.
Premier Heather Stefanson said the week of online learning gives school divisions time to address expected staffing shortages due to sickness and to develop plans to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The province already delayed the return to school after the winter break from Jan. 6 to Jan. 10 to assess the impact of Omicron. Students will now go back into classrooms on Jan. 17.
Medical-grade masks will be required for staff when classes resume. Students will be asked to wear well-fitting masks with at least three layers.
The New Brunswick RMCP is on track to keep its promise to launch a specialized unit by the end of this year to investigate a rising number of human-trafficking reports in the province.
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A parents committee in Prince Edward Island's Évangéline Region is frustrated that some of the playground equipment it purchased for a school in the area doesn't meet safety standards.
The City of Hamilton appears to be pulling out all the stops to make this holiday season unforgettable.
The opening of a new intersection at Sydney Avenue and Howard Avenue is delayed again.
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Canada's tax agency says it doesn't expect Canadians who hold simple trusts, known as bare trusts, to file required tax forms this coming tax season — but legislative changes currently before the House of Commons means the requirements will likely be in place in 2027.
WARNING: This story contains references to domestic violence and abuse.
E-bike and e-scooter riders in Toronto may soon have a new obstacle in their path, with one city councillor proposing police confiscate their electric mobility devices if they're caught riding on the sidewalk.
Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie used strong mayor powers to change the 2026 and future city budgets and reinstate winter maintenance of bike lanes.
The N.W.T. government has taken some water fixtures out of service at another school in the territory, due to elevated lead levels in the water.
An end-of-year holiday message sent to Fanshawe College employees did not bring much optimism about the future, as the school's president says all full-time employees are being offered a way out of their jobs.