Manitoba to drop self-isolation requirement for people who test COVID positive
CBC
Manitoba is planning to abolish its requirement for people who test positive for COVID-19 to self isolate.
Dr. Jazz Atwal, the province's deputy chief provincial public health officer, announced Wednesday that the public health order is shifting to a recommendation from a requirement as of March 15 — the same day the mask mandate is to be eliminated.
Manitoba will also cease COVID-19 case investigations on that day, he said.
When a positive result is detected at the lab, patients are contacted and given guidance on how to care for themselves and whether they might be eligible for treatment. That practice will continue but the province will not longer attempt to trace where the person picked up — or possibly transmitted — the virus.
More guidance on the changes will be shared in the coming days, Atwal said.
The latest announcements come one day after Manitoba cast aside the need for people to show COVID-19 proof of vaccination to enter public places. The cards and verifier app are still available, and businesses will still be able to require proof of vaccination at their own discretion.
"As we continue to transition to living with COVID-19 outside of public health restrictions, we also need to adjust to the information we collect and share with Manitobans," he added.
Real-time data is less critical with endemic reporting, which means public health is shifting its focus to key pieces of information that provide the most relevant epidemiological metrics for both the public and decision makers, Atwal said.
What exactly that means will be seen in the days ahead, he said.
Fewer restrictions and more interactions will likely result in more cases initially, Atwal said, but added "I don't think we're going to see a new wave." He said he expects to "continue to bump along" with some jumps and drops in numbers.
"The system will continue to prepare for potentially a new wave … but there isn't anything on the horizon that we can see in relation to that. But we're going to continue to monitor that situation."
If need be, he said, the system can be ramped up again to deal with a new wave.
Atwal also announced the province is distributing millions more free, rapid antigen tests for the public to access, and widening the places where people can pick them up, including public libraries and a number of retailers.
As for the latest COVID-19 numbers, the province's online dashboard reported two COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday as hospitalizations went up by one.
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