All Manitobans 'highly likely' to be exposed to COVID-19 in coming weeks, health official says

Manitoba health officials say every person in the province will likely be exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 sometime in the coming weeks, and the government will shift its focus away from trying to limit the spread of the disease.

"COVID-19 is no longer an emerging illness," said Dr. Jazz Atwal, deputy chief provincial public health officer.

"It is here to stay, and our ability to contain the virus is limited. It is highly likely that everyone will be exposed to the virus in the coming weeks."

Instead of focusing on individual cases, public health officials will work to manage risk at the community level, Atwalsaid at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, alongside Premier Heather Stefanson, Health Minister Audrey Gordonand Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead of the province's vaccine task force.

With the arrival of the Omicron variant, the coronavirus has become much more infectious, with a shorter incubation period, making it much harder to contain, Atwal said.

"This is behavingalmost like an entirely different virus," he said. "We would not have been able to contain this virus."

The Omicron variant has become the dominant strain of the coronavirus in all health regions in Manitoba, Atwal said.

Province will monitor 'system load'

Instead of focusing on new case numbers, the province will instead monitor "system load," Gordon said.

Atwal said one-third of all COVID-19 cases in hospitals right now were admitted specifically because ofthe disease. Theother cases involvepeople receiving treatment for other conditionsbut who later tested positive for COVID-19.

Health officials determined the one-third figureby conducting a manual review of all patient charts at one Manitoba facility and looking specifically at the reason for admission, Atwal said.

The premier saidtheprovince needs to take a more "balanced" approach to the way it deals with the virus.

"We're going to need to learn to live with this in the longer term. COVID is here to stay," Stefansonsaid.

When asked by reporters whether public health officials recommended more stringent measures, Atwal said they "provide recommendations to government, and I think anything further would have to come from government."

WATCH | Premier, doctor pushed on whether governmentlistening to public health recommendations:

Manitoba premier pressed on whether government is listening to public health recommendations

3 years ago

Duration 5:59

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson and Deputy Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Jazz Atwal were questioned at a Wednesday news conference on whether public health has recommended more stringent public health measures than those currently in place.

Responding to the same line of questioning, Stefanson said too much responsibility had been laid at the feet of public health officials, and she hasbeen reaching out to other groups, including business leaders and pediatricians.

"At the end of the day, we'll take advice from public health, but we will be taking advice from other Manitobans as well moving forward."

Stefanson has come under fire for seldomaddressing the public about the pandemic, with social media hashtagssuch as#Wheresheatherand #wheresthepremierpopping up.

Thecriticism grew louder this weekafter19 more deaths were reported on Monday, with no responsefrom the premier.

Province re-emphasizing vaccinations

As it moves away from efforts to stop the spread of the virus, the province is re-emphasizing the importance of getting vaccinated as the best means of protecting against the worst effects of COVID-19.

The province has launched a campaign aimed at encouraging eligible Manitobans to get their COVID-19 booster shot, dubbed "Recharge Your Immunity."

Stefansonwas questionedWednesday about whether the government was asking Manitobans to shift their expectations of the province's efforts in the fight against COVID-19.

"What we're asking Manitobans to do is to ensure that they get vaccinated ... that they mitigate their own risk out there to not contract thisvirus,"she said.

Uzoma Asagwara, health critic for the Opposition NDP, said the governmentappeared to be "throwing in the towel."

"Manitobans may need to learn to live with the virus, but we should never learn to live with a government that is failing us," theysaid.

"If we are going through a period where everyone in the province is going to be exposed to the virus, you would expect that the government would announce strong measures to shore up our health-care system."

Rising hospitalizations

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Manitoba reached a new high of 454 Wednesday, with 36 more people being admitted to hospitals, including three more in intensive care.

The province also reported 1,478 new cases of COVID-19, with the majority of those, 816,in the Winnipeg health region. However, reported case counts significantly undercount the true number of cases in the province, since positive results from rapid tests are not included in that number.

As of Wednesday, 102 patients were in Manitoba's intensive care units, including both patients with COVID-19 and those receiving treatment for other issues, a Shared Health spokesperson said in an email to CBCNews.

Manitoba's pre-pandemic baseline ICU capacity was 72.

WATCH | Full news conference on COVID-19 | Jan.12, 2022:

Manitoba government daily briefing on coronavirus: Jan. 12

3 years ago

Duration 1:31:34

Provincial officials give update on COVID-19 outbreak: Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022.