July 29, 2020

 IRTC UPDATE:

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 0.44 per cent and three new cases of the virus have been identified as of 9:30 a.m. today. This brings the total number of lab-confirmed positive and probable positive cases in Manitoba to 407.

The data shows that there were:

• • two new cases in the Interlake-Eastern health region
  • one new case in the Winnipeg health region

The data also shows:

• • • six current hospitalizations, with three individuals in intensive care
    • 74 active cases and 325 individuals have recovered from COVID-19
    • the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is now eight

A case that was identified on July 25, a male in his 50s from the Winnipeg health region, is being removed from the case totals after investigation determined the individual had recovered from a previous infection from another province.

The dashboard and graphs are updated Monday to Friday at 1 p.m. Data from the weekend will be updated on the following Monday.

• Effective today, July 29th, all travellers, visitors, and airport campus employees must wear a face covering or non-medical mask at all times inside Winnipeg Richardson International Airport. Face coverings must be worn properly to cover one’s nose and mouth at all times in all public areas of the terminal. For more information, check the blog post: Face coverings are now a must in all public areas at YWG.
• Effective April 20, all travellers are required to wear a non-medical mask or face covering while flying as mandated by Transport Canada. Those who don’t have a non-medical mask or face covering will not be allowed to board their flight.

IRTC in-office essential services schedule:

All IRTC Staff are in-office daily at the Pinaymootang Head office and at the Headingley Sub-office.

If you are using gloves or masks, please discard these items accordingly.

~ ~ ~ ~  ~  ~  ~  ~ ~

Phase Four Plan Released, Feedback Critical to Final Plan

As a result of public health evidence and advice, and in response to feedback received, phase four will proceed but with some items deferred to a later date or moved forward with more limited implementation. Other steps will remain as proposed.

The proposed changes to visits in personal care homes and long-term care settings will proceed as outlined in the draft document. Facility operators will continue to review visitation policies and processes to ensure appropriate visitation, along with the health and safety of residents and families.

Items moving forward with limited implementation on July 25 include:

• maintaining current site capacity at 30 per cent (instead of the proposed 50 per cent) for faith-based services and pow wows, but eliminating the need for sub- groups (cohorts);
• allowing stage performances and opening movie theatres to a maximum capacity of 30 per cent of the site (instead of the proposed 50 per cent), up to a maximum of 500 people;
• allowing casinos to open at a maximum of 30 per cent of the site’s capacity (instead of the proposed 50 per cent); and
• allowing retail businesses and indoor recreation sites to use non-permeable barriers when distances of two metres can not be

The following proposed changes have been deferred at this time:

• proposed changes to indoor and outdoor gathering sizes;
• relaxing of self-isolation requirements for those travelling from eastern and southern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada; and
• walk-up counter service in bars, beverage rooms, brew pubs, microbreweries and distilleries.

Public health officials will review possible adjustments on a week-by-week basis and make any additional changes based on the public health situation at the time.

To view the updated phase four plan and to review public health guidance for businesses, visit www.manitoba.ca/covid19/restoring/index.html.

IRTC Education Update: Course Registration Dates for September 2020

Please note that the following education institutions have stated that the majority of their programs will be offered online for the Fall 2020 term. In addition, the following dates should be adhered to when it comes to registering for your courses for the September 2020 session. Red River College -registration begins a month before your program start date.

University of Winnipeg -registration appointment notices are sent to students mid to late June and registration will begin in July.

University of Manitoba -registration for Fall 2020 opens in Aurora on July 23 – August 11 for returning students. Registration for Fall 2020 for new students will be July 14-20. Students can start checking their registration dates starting July 10.

The Canada Student Services Grant (CSSG) is designed so that qualified Post-Secondary students and recent graduates can pursue volunteer opportunities and earn up to possibly $1000.00 -$5000.00 based on the number of qualified hours. Below is the link for students to obtain further information and how to apply to the Canada Student Services Grant (CSSG). https://www.iwanttohelp.org/en-CA/student/eligibility- student