Manitoba made all residents of the province 18 and over eligible for booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines Nov. 10, while the chief public health officer said tightened restrictions could be on the horizon if the number of new infections doesn’t start levelling off.
Anyone 18 and older whose second coronavirus vaccine shot was at least six months ago can now get a third shot, though vaccine task force medical lead Dr. Joss Reimer said it was most important for those over 70, Indigenous people, people with some chronic illness or compromised immunity and front-line health care workers.
Though early studies indicate that young and healthy people remain well-protected by vaccines even more than six months after their second dose, immune responses don’t last forever and vary from person to person, Reimer said.
Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said the 143 new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba on Wednesday were disappointing and concerning
“We are continuing to review risk, review what our next steps could be,” he said. “I can certainly assure you that stronger restrictions are an option."
Roussin also noted that the “vast majority” pf sever outcomes continue to occur among unvaccinated people.
89 of Manitoba’s new infections on Wednesday were in people who are not fully vaccinated and 52 per cent of active infections affect those who have not received two doses of coronavirus vaccine. 55 per cent of the 111 people in hospital with active COVID-19 are not fully vaccinated, while for those in intensive care the number the percentage is 86.
Overall, there are 143 Manitobans in hospital due to COVID-19 infections and 28 of them are in intensive care.
The five-day test positivity rate as of Nov. 10 was 6.2 per cent in Manitoba. Two more deaths were also announced, making the total number of Manitobans who have died of the virus since the pandemic began 1,268.
Only five new COVID cases were reported for the north Nov. 10, with three of them affecting people who are not fully vaccinated.There are 15 northerners in hospital due to their infections, including one in intensive care. There are still more than 300 active COVID cases spread out over eight northern health districts, with Norway House (196 active cases) and Pukatawagan/Mathias Colomb (66 active cases) making up the bulk of cases. There are 24 active cases of the coronavirus in the Bunibonibee/Oxford House/Manto Sipi/God’s Rover/God’s Lake health district.
The north has seen 155 positive tests for the virus since the beginning of November.
