Canadian city of Winnipeg to close bars, casinos as COVID-19 cases increase

Bars and casinos in the Canadian city of Winnipeg will remain closed for two weeks while stores and eateries are guided to reduce their capacities to half, Manitoba health officials declared on Friday, endeavouring to slow the increasing COVID-19 cases.

Gatherings will be limited to five people outside a home, dropping from 10. The limitations will take impact on Monday in the city of nearly 800,000 inhabitants.

Manitoba, with a population of 1.4 million, had seen amongst the rarest infections between regions, but that increased in autumn. The area now has the largest number of active coronavirus cases per capita, although its case count is considerably lesser than the more populated regions of Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.

Canada’s infections have increased regularly since September, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed it as a second wave of coronavirus.

The difficulty in Manitoba started as people socialized even while ill, going to gatherings and work, stated Dr Brent Roussin, the region's chief public health officer.

“These figures reveal that we have lost our way,” he stated. “We require to make adjustments immediately.”

Health Minister Cameron Friesen announced that people became complacent this summer when Manitoba went weeks without a new confirmed infection.

“There was too much high-fiving going on,” he said.

Ontario declared new standards that will take effect in York region, north of Toronto, starting on Monday. The province will follow the cities of Ottawa, Toronto and nearby Peel region in shutting indoor dining, gyms, fitness centres, casinos.

Common case counts have stimulated in Ontario, notwithstanding insufficient testing capacity that may mean public health officials are avoiding some new infections.

Quebec, the country’s worse-hit region with more than 6,000 deaths due to the virus, is witnessing cases steadiness after it shut bars, cinemas and restaurant dining places in areas like Montreal this month.

“Our endeavours are paying off; however, we must maintain if we want our infection cases to decrease,” Health Minister Christian Dube said.