Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced 291 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon.  The larger numbers are in Winnipeg with 158 and Northern health with 47. He also reported 15 additional deaths with ten in Winnipeg, two each in Interlake Eastern and Prairie Mountain and one in Southern health region.  He also announced outbreaks declared at St. Paul’s Residence in The Pas and the Personal Care Home in Flin Flon are declared over. Roussin had a message for children concerned about Santa Claus.  He explained he and Premier Pallister have worked with others in the government and have made special changes for Santa Claus and so Santa is certainly an essential worker which means he is allowed to travel to Manitoba and able to come to anyone’s house.

Roussin added with the first vaccines in the province we are now fighting back but COVID-19 is not over so we have to continue to be focused on public health protocols knowing we have something on the horizon.