Whether it was reading, gardening, or taking in a new part of the province, Manitobans seem to have made the best of a summer like no other.
With cases of COVID-19 continuing to rise here at home and around the world, summer vacation plans changed quickly for many in Manitoba as borders between provinces and into the U.S. closed and public health orders put restrictions on businesses.
“It’s been different and it’s been very challenging,” Travel Manitoba president and CEO Colin Ferguson said of the sudden changes brought on by the pandemic.
“When COVID was first announced in March we were obviously, like everybody, very concerned about what that was going to mean.”
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1:49 Travel experts: Manitobans should consider extra steps before making plans
Travel experts: Manitobans should consider extra steps before making plans
Ferguson tells Global News the resulting closure of international borders has wreaked havoc for businesses in Manitoba that rely on seasonal visits from Americans and Europeans, like fly-in fishing camps and attractions in Churchill.
But Ferguson said Mantiobans have picked up some of the business lost to a lack of international travellers this summer.
It’s something Travel Manitoba had hoped to see after launching a hyper-local travel campaign aimed at those living in the Keystone province.
???? This week in Manitoba ????
Try something new! Enjoy a staycation at a new Winnipeg hotel, check out the Sunflower Expo at A Maze in Corn or grab a bite and a brew at a new patio in the Exchange District: https://t.co/HhioNJOMLr#staysafe#exploremb
The $2-million “Home Is Where The Heart Is” campaign included series of videos featuring actual Manitobans as they become ambassadors for the province’s destinations and experiences.
“The campgrounds, the parks, the golf courses are seeing huge increases in rounds played — places like Hecla, Clear Lake, Whiteshell, we are hearing things like best June, July and August ever.
“We know Manitobans are getting out and exploring.”
‘It was nice to have that time’
Winnipegger Charles Carron tells Global News he had a pretty busy summer, heading out hiking and camping right here in Manitoba.
“Definitely got a chance to get outside, do some hiking, I like to be outdoors as much as possible — I’ve got some friends that like to go hiking — so I took advantage of that,” he said.
Lorand Bashushki, on the other hand, said he had a great summer without leaving his backyard very often.
“I planted a garden for the first time in my life — put a whole bunch of flowers out on my front… and the garden’s in the back and I got a whole bunch of flowers inside the house too,” he said.
1:26 Manitoba looking to attract travellers
Manitoba looking to attract travellers
Bashushki, who normally would have been working at IG Field if the CFL season hadn’t been cancelled, said he did venture out once this summer.
“We went to Kenora for about three hours for supper and came back… that’s about it,” he said with a laugh.
“Usually in the summer I would like to go somewhere like for real. Kenora was it this year.”
The change of pace brought on by the pandemic this summer was welcomed by Patrick Harney, who said he stayed in the city for the whole summer.
“I usually go away most summers and try and do something but it was nice to have a change from that sort of summer pressure of getting out, seeing people — I just had time for myself,” Harney tells Global News.
1:36 Manitoba campgrounds noticing more trash with travel restricted
Manitoba campgrounds noticing more trash with travel restricted
“It was nice to have that time – I spent a lot of time reading books, reading books I never would’ve read over the summer.”
At Travel Manitoba, Ferguson says he’s hopeful Manitobans remember there’s a lot of things to do right here at home, once the pandemic is over.
“I think Manitobans, they’re looking for something and they’re either going to go out and rediscover places they haven’t been to… for many, many years, a long time — or they’re going to places they’ve never been to,” he said.
“I think this is going to be good to the long term — I think Winnipeggers and Manitobans are going to realize ‘there’s a lot to do in this province.”
— With files from Erik Pindera
4:27 Traveling safely this summer amid the pandemic
Traveling safely this summer amid the pandemic
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
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To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
