By The Canadian Press
Dr. Jazz Atwal, acting deputy Manitoba chief public health officer, speaks at the province’s latest COVID-19 update at the Manitoba legislature in Winnipeg Wednesday, December 16, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)
WINNIPEG — A top health official in Manitoba says the province is headed in the right direction when it comes to slowing the spread of COVID-19, but the fight is far from won.
The province has announced 133 new cases of the virus and five additional deaths — figures much lower than Manitobans have grown accustomed to over the fall and winter surge of the pandemic.
Dr. Jazz Atwal, acting deputy chief provincial public health officer, says the test positivity rate for the province and in Winnipeg remains high at about 12 per cent.
He adds that 1,300 COVID-19 tests were done Monday, and it’s typical to see lower numbers following a holiday.
With the province’s current public-health rules set to expire next week, he says officials will have to see how the virus is spreading closer to Jan. 8 to determine whether restrictions can be loosened.
Atwal urges residents not to socialize, particularly for any New Year’s Eve events.
He told a news briefing Tuesday, “133 cases and five deaths does not mean we can be careless
with our actions.”
“It does not mean we can take the restrictions currently in place less seriously.”
