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Loosened public health restrictions do not mean the COVID-19 threat has passed, Thompson mayor says

Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook said in a monthly message posted on YouTube May 1 that people in Northern Manitoba should not use the fact that the number of new and active cases of COVID-19 in the province have lessened over the past few weeks as licen
Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook
Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook

Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook said in a monthly message posted on YouTube May 1 that people in Northern Manitoba should not use the fact that the number of new and active cases of COVID-19 in the province have lessened over the past few weeks as licence to abandon pandemic precautions.

“The north has developed really a false sense of security,” she said, noting that travel ban to Northern Manitoba is not being enforced by the provincial government. "There’s no monitoring stations for this. It’s an honour system. Now that we think nobody can travel here we find that there’s more leniency. That is definitely the wrong way to think. We should be still just as concerned as we were when you could north-south travel. You can still travel up here to work, you can still have people from other provinces come in to work here.”

The mayor also said that while most people abide by public health orders and recommendations, the minority who don’t can’t negate those efforts.

“Ninety-five per cent [of people] are very proactive,” Smook said. “It’s the five per cent that are still travelling and coming and going and, out of these five per cent, they’re the ones that believe either they’re indestructible or that COVID is a scam. COViD is not a scam. COVID is very real and, if you’re not worried about yourself, worry about your parents, your grandparents, other people the vulnerable, people up here and please stay home as often as you can.”

The fact that the province loosened restrictions on some businesses opening as of May 4 does not mean the risk of infection is gone or that people should flock to newly reopened businesses, Smook cautioned.

“Just because a place is open, if you don’t feel comfortable about going in, don’t. Those of you that can’t wait to get out, just take it easy, make sure you take precautions. If somebody requires you to use hand sanitizer in their place of business, please do so. Please watch the lineups, stay your six feet away when you’re shopping or when you’re out in public. We should still stay home as much as we can. Only go [shopping] as often as you need to, go in, get what you need and get out please. No visiting in the stores.”

The fact that Thompson serves as a shopping and service centre for outlying communities with crowded housing and little in the way of health care services makes it extra important that people remain vigilant, said the mayor, pointing to the increase in the number of novel coronavirus cases in Saskatchewan’s north as an example of what could happen if people aren’t careful.

“I feel we’ve had so few cases in Manitoba  that if we really open up too many things that we really are going to see it start to spread and I am worried about it getting into our northern communities,” she said, especially with some First Nations loosening lockdowns and allowing their members to come into Thompson to go grocery shopping on certain days. “It’s going to hit more than one community when it does hit Thompson.”

Despite the need for continued vigilance, Smook said the coronavirus pandemic has also resulted in positive developments too.

“This COVID is a very scary thing but I think in a way it’s brought a lot of our Thompson people together,” she said. “Everybody is looking out for each other and I would continue to do that.”

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