Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 22, 2020, Winnipeg, Manitoba <s> ■e-CMIK PAGE A4 ■e-a 4 NEWS I MANITOBA TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 • WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COMVIRUS • FROM A1 0 On Monday, more possible exposures were announced: at College Garden City Collegiate and aboard Winnipeg Transit’s John Pritchard School Route S412 to John Pritchard School, where Roussin said more positive cases connected to the infected cohort will likely be announced Tuesday but won’t affect the school’s plans now in place. Meanwhile, An outbreak at Parkview Place Long Term Care Home in Winnipeg has grown to include a total of seven residents and one staff member Dr. Rhonda Collins, chief medical officer at Revera Inc., said in a statement Monday the company which oversees the facility has been informed of seven new cases connected to the site since last week, when an employee was found to have tested positive. Collins said all residents are being monitored for symptoms twice daily and all staff, who are required to wear a surgical mask and eye protection in the home, are screened at the start and end of their shifts. Roussin is not ruling out a clamp-down on Winnipeg that would impose restrictions on crowd sizes or mandate masks if the indicators keep trending in the wrong direction. “We’re watching these things very closely and we do want to be able to respond when necessary,” Roussin said. “Nothing’s off the table.” In a telephone conference call with reporters, Premier Brian Pallister said he’d follow Roussin’s advice on mask use. He did not offer a personal opinion on the issue. Asked about Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler’s tweet on the weekend, calling on Pallister to implement a “universal mask mandate,” the premier said: “I personally have a ton of affection for Blake Wheeler in the way he plays hockey. I also have a lot of time for people like Blake that have a passion for Manitoba.” But he said for Manitobans to get through the pandemic, they have to respect those “who have been put in a position of trusted leadership, and Brent Roussin’s been put in that position.” “As your premier, I’m going to respect what our experienced public health officials decide... and I’m going to cheer for the Jets and Blake Wheeler.” NDP Leader Wab Kinew, meanwhile, also referenced Wheeler’s tweet, telling reporters he was “pleasantly surprised” to see the Jets forward weigh in on the issue. “I thought that was a good move — another good example of him showing leadership both on and off the ice.” Kinew, who has pushed for mandating the use of masks in all indoor public spaces, said while Roussin makes recommendations on such initiatives, it’s the premier and cabinet who set the rules. Roussin didn’t discount the views of the premier or the public but said his department decides when to issue health orders like wearing masks. “We will mandate that when we have indicators to support that,” he said, noting the public doesn’t have to wait for a mandate to wear a mask. “If the vast majority want to wear a mask, we don’t need a mandate.” — with files from Larry Kusch and Maggie Macintosh carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief public health officer, says with flu season approaching, allowing all students and staff who have runny noses could cause concerns. Province revisiting student screening checklist MAGGIE MACINTOSH LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER THE COVID-19 screening students have to pass before they can come to school is under review, as Manitoba examines British Columbia’s move to remove symptoms, including runny noses and sore throats, from its list. Before the school day, students in Manitoba are required to answer a series of questions about potential novel coronavirus symptoms. They are asked about everything from recent travel to exposure history to current health. If they have a new onset or worsen- ing of a fever higher than 38 C, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, vomiting, diarrhea or loss of taste or smell, they are not allowed to enter a school building. Students are also asked to stay home if they experience any two of the following symptoms: runny nose, muscle aches, fatigue, pink eye, headache, unknown skin rash, nausea or loss of appetite. “It’s all about how sensitive you want to be,” chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said during a Monday news conference. “If you have a very sensitive screen- ing tool, it means many people will be excluded who don’t have COVID. If you decrease that sensitivity then you increase the chances of somebody with COVID passing the screening test.” Roussin said runny noses are a sole symptom for approximately 10 per cent of the patients who have tested positive in Manitoba. On Monday, B.C. officials removed 10 symptoms from its back-to-school checklist, citing the low probability of symptoms including headache, fatigue, pink eye, dizziness, skin rash, muscle aches, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. Checklist decisions need to be made based on local scenarios and rates of absenteeism, Roussin said, adding Manitoba may adjust its list if absenteeism rates spike. He noted flu season is on the horizon, and allowing all staff and students into a school who have a runny nose could cause concerns. The federal government’s checklist states symptoms vary from patient to patient but does not list a runny nose or sore throat as signs of COVID-19. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie 0 Hookah lounge tied to COVID-19 case AFTER receiving several hefty fines issued by public health, the 7 Arabian Dreams hookah lounge is now the site of a possible COVID-19 exposure. Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced Monday that those who were at 7 Arabian Dreams at 775 Corydon Ave. in Winnipeg on Friday from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday from 12:45 a.m. to 1 a.m. may have been infected. The hookah lounge has been issued six tickets and fined $15,252 since August. Those tickets resulted from four inspections of the restaurant on Aug. 1, Aug. 27, Sept. 8 and Sept. 10. Each ticket of $2,542 was for failure to comply with the special measures prescribed in the order issued by chief public health officer and allowing the use of hookah on the premises. Under normal circumstances, some Winnipeg restaurants operate as hookah lounges by offering customers the ability to smoke tobacco-free herbal shisha. The pandemic and public health orders put an end to it. When asked why the establishment wasn't ordered to close after being fined repeatedly for violating the public health orders, Roussin said that "further enforcement is on the table." "We're looking at different options with that," said Roussin. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Public health officials say 7 Arabian Dreams restaurant is the site of possible COVID-19 exposure. WHMTE VEHICLE PROTECTION RUST PROTECTION WITH UNDERCOATING •Free Maintenance inspections ¡ •Lifetime warranty on new vehicles J •Up to 10 years on used cars • Reduce road noise • Abrasion resistant sealants $479* ■. ALL MING SERVICES INCLUDE SANITIZING (a $50.00 value) MING "MIRROR" PAINT TREATMENT Never wax again! • Mirror smooth shine Removes fine scratches and marks Make washing easier • 5 year warranty ONLY $299' COMPLETE PROTECTION PACKAGE • Includes all 4 services plus complete leather, fabic, && vinyl, interior protection. $199 Value $799* WINDOW TINTING • 99% UV filtration • Reduce heat, glare && fading • Add safety, comfort && security • 5 year warranty • New High Tech films look great! PAINT PROTECTION FILM • Stops chipping on vulnerable areas • Hood fronts • Rear bumper tops • Headlight lenses • 5 year warranty Save up to 30% on Ming Tint && Film Packages Free shuttle • Same day service 1400 ST. JAMES ST. & & & 19 & & & STAPLETON & & & ST. (at Saskatchewan) & & & (off & & & Nairn) 204-786-7681 204-661-3900 www.mingofwinnipeg.ca *Prices are based on passenger cars. Services on vans, full size trucks and SUV's may be slightly higher. Open Selected SaturdaysPallister 'wants clarity' on Hydro OTTAWA — Premier Brian Pallister says he’s among those confused about whether Manitoba Hydro International is winding down its operations, after internal directives to curtail its work went public. “I want some clarity on it, too. I’m concerned, because I believe Manitoba Hydro belongs to all Manitobans,” Pallister told the Free Press on Monday. “I think Manitobans deserve more clarity. on what it is they’re after here.” MHI, a profitable subsidiary of the province’s largest Crown corporation, does international hydroelectric consulting work. It employs about 125 people. However, Hydro confirmed last week it has put MHI “into a non-aggressive approach for new business development” during an external review by a third party. The confirmation came only after a leaked internal memo to staff, declaring “MHI is not to aggressively pursue new work... actively pursue bids or seek out new customers” for a month. MHI has also barred any new contracts that can’t be cancelled within three months, which is the vast majority of the subsidiary’s work. In January, the PC government ordered Hydro’s telecom branch, which is part of MHI, to stop preparing a bid for a lucrative data-network contract. Meanwhile, some employees say managers have advised them to look for work opportunities elsewhere — despite Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton’s office saying the province isn’t looking to privatize MHI. Pallister said Hydro has gone billions overbudget on former projects without enough transparency, and argued the Crown corporation should be more upfront with the public. — Dylan Robertson A/lantario SlliiSfel | 50/50 RAFFLE YOU PLAY OUR COMMUNITY WINS! BUY TICKETS NOW Tickets on sale until Oct. 16 at 9 a.m. Jackpot starts at $2,500! Victoria General Hospital FOUNDATION HEALTHIER FUTURES LGCA 2390-RF-34768 Unplug. Reconnect with nature. A NATIIRC MantarioCabin.ca ■e- -e- A_04_Sep-22-20_FP_01.indd A4 0 2020-09-21 10:43 PM ;