December 20, 2021

Treaty 5 Territory, Homeland of the Red River Métis, Thompson MB—Following high case counts over the weekend, Official Opposition Leader Wab Kinew is calling on the PC government to immediately return to daily COVID-19 briefings, in a bid to ramp up public awareness and buy-in to restrictions.

“Manitobans have done so much already in the fight against COVID. They’ve been vaccinated, stayed home when sick and done all they can to stop the spread of the virus,” said Kinew. “Manitobans have been doing their part and they deserve to have access to the latest Public Health numbers so that they can make informed decision over the holidays. The PCs should return to daily COVID updates to facilitate this and step up enforcement in parts of the province where we haven't seen buy in to public health orders and the vaccination campaign.”

The province reduced its COVID-19 briefings with public health from every day to just a few times a week in August of this year. Since then, the new variant omicron has begun to circulate and cases have spiked dramatically. Doctors and other health care workers are doing the PC’s work for them, publishing letters and making public pleas for Manitobans to do what they can to lighten the load on the health care system.

“It’s government that has the biggest bullhorn when it comes to communicating the seriousness of our situation. We shouldn’t have to rely on exhausted health workers to spread the message,” said Kinew. “Last week the PC’s put out Ministers who defended those who break health orders and refused to say if they were vaccinated. The Premier didn’t appear at any public health announcements. It’s obviously more of the same from a government that continues to put their own political fortunes ahead of Manitobans’ safety.