Situation Update

Since yesterday, 92 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified. Two cases have been removed as a result of data correction. This brings the total case count in Manitoba to 31,235.

The five-day test positivity rate is 5.7%, down from 6.0%. It is 4.2% in Winnipeg, down from 4.4% yesterday.

There are currently 1,169 active COVID-19 cases province-wide, up from 1,153.

There are currently 213 patients in hospital today related to COVID-19, down from 224. This includes 27 patients in ICU.

Two more deaths related to COVID-19 have been identified. A total of 879 Manitobans have died due to COVID-19. Due to data correction, one death that had been reported earlier has been removed.

You can learn more in today’s public health bulletin.

Manitoba has detected three more cases of the UK B117 variant of concern, for a total of four overall. All cases were related to international travel and the individuals isolated and have recovered. At this point there is no evidence of any community spread of any variant of concern. The variant cases are not connected to any First Nations communities.

National modeling released today warns that new COVID variants could drive another surge in cases if public health measures are relaxed.

Vaccine Update

Vaccination appointments continue to be available for eligible Manitobans in the Winnipeg and Brandon super sites. Anyone working in licensed personal care homes can now access the vaccine, with no age restrictions (expanded from December 31, 1965). The age range for community-based health care workers who provide direct patient care services insured by Manitoba Health was revised to December 31, 1965 or earlier. To book an appointment, call the provincial vaccine call centre at 1−844−626−8222.

Immunization teams will begin providing first-dose vaccines to residents of congregate living facilities in Winnipeg and Brandon today.

More than 460 medical clinics and pharmacies have applied to be part of the vaccine rollout once a suitable vaccine is approved for these settings. Learn more here about how to apply, what is required and what level of remuneration will be provided.

58,974 vaccine doses have been administered. This includes 35,227 first doses and 23,747 second doses. To date a total of 84,810 doses (62,010 Pfizer and 22,800 Moderna) of vaccine have been delivered to Manitoba. The province expects to receive 17,550 doses of Pfizer and 6,100 of Moderna next week.

Vaccine Resources

We have added new COVID-19 resources for physicians.

Webinar

Last night nearly 200 physicians attended a webinar on the COVID-19 vaccine. We learned:

• Public health officials are still considering if and how to expand eligibility to consider underlying medical conditions and essential jobs.
• The AstraZeneca vaccine, which is the leading candidate for use in medical clinics, may be recommended nationally initially for individuals under 65 years of age. The regulatory review is still underway by Health Canada.
• Older Manitobans will start to become eligible next week, beginning with those aged 95 and above. Older patients may start phoning – and physicians could start reaching out to these patients – to answer questions, assess patient risks and address any hesitancy in a proactive way.
• Clinics registered to offer the vaccine will only become recognized as a ​“designated site” once they start immunizing. This means physicians in these sites will not become eligible to be immunized until that point. In the meantime, however, community physicians are becoming eligible based on age (see above).
• The vaccines are still considered extremely safe, with very few anaphylactic reactions reported.

Doctors Manitoba would like to thank panel expert, Dr. Joss Reimer and our other panelists for their time and expertise. You can view the webinar here.

Billing Advice

We have received a number of remuneration questions related to visits and the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. Please see our new guide on COVID-19 Vaccine billing.

You can learn more about offering the vaccine in your clinic at from the webinar recording, as well as on our site. We encourage all clinics to consider offering the vaccine, and apply to Manitoba Health.

PHAC Webinar for Health Care Providers

PHAC, with the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID), will host a webinar to provide information about the vaccine regulatory authorization from Health Canada, guidance developed by the NACI and information on COVID-19 vaccine technologies.

• English Session: February 23, 2021 from 1 – 3p.m. EST. To register, click here.
• French Session: February 26, 2021 from 1 – 3p.m. EST. To register, click here.

The webinars will be recorded and available for viewing immediately following each event. You can view past webinars hosted by PHAC here and past webinars hosted by NCCID here.

PHAC COVID-19 Tool Kit

Over 14,000 health care professionals participated in a December 2020 survey to inform the PHAC’s comprehensive COVID-18 Vaccination Tool Kit for Health Care Providers. The tool kit includes COVID-19 and vaccine information, links and resources. A communication tool kit for Indigenous communities can be found here and sample social media graphics and text can be found here.

CIHI COVID Report

Yesterday the CIHI released a report with a scan of how each province has intervened to reduce the spread of COVID.
The scan provides information on key interventions for:

• Case finding and management (e.g., testing criteria, self-isolation, contact tracing)
• Openings and closures (e.g., health, education, other services)
• Physical distancing
• Health workforce capacity
• Health services
• Travel restrictions
• Public information (e.g., pandemic response plans, phase changes, alert levels)

You can view a short summary of the report here and view a timeline of the intervention here.

Manitoba 150

Each year Canada Life’s Honour 150 program recognizes 150 people who stand out for their roles in making Manitoba an amazing place to live. Dr. Katherine Kearns is among the 150 this year for her role in supporting new mothers in their breast feeding journey and mentoring medical residents and undergraduate students through educational presentations and advocacy. Dr. Kearns and her colleague opened the Winnipeg Breastfeeding Centre, in 2017. Congratulations Dr. Kearns!

Nominate a Health Hero

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for the Canadian Health Hero award. ​“Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Laureates are Canadian citizens whose outstanding leadership and contributions to medicine and health sciences, in Canada and abroad, have led to extraordinary improvements in human health.” Do you know a medical professional who should be recognized for their work in one or more of the following categories?

1. Leadership in building excellence in health for Canadians and the world
2. Leadership in health promotion, illness prevention and care
3. Leadership in research with national and international recognition for a scientific contribution?

To find out more about the nomination process or to nominate a health hero click here.