COVID work in Manitoba

Topics: Manitoba, Emergencies and Disasters in Canada
August 13, 2021

man in red cross vest wearing PPE standing outsideIn the 2020-21 fiscal year, the Canadian Red Cross provided a wide array of COVID-19 support to Manitobans, including several different projects in support of the provincial government.
 
In October 2020, the Canadian Red Cross was requested to provide contact tracing support to bolster the province’s capacity. Working closely with Shared Health Manitoba, the Red Cross developed a team of contact tracers who placed check-in calls and did contact investigations. A robust team of Red Cross callers placed more than 68,000 calls to residents between October and the end of March. The team is still in place and continues to support the province in contact tracing.
 
Starting in November 2020, the Red Cross also supported the provincial government, as well as the federal government, by providing personnel on-site at six long-term care homes in Winnipeg. The teams assisted with activities of daily living, such as socialization with residents and food delivery. The request to provide support was in response to outbreaks in long-term care homes.
 
As part of that response, Red Cross health experts visited multiple long-term care facilities as a technical advisory for epidemic prevention and control (EPC). This service supported the safe adaptation and implementation of EPC protocols and enhanced the development and organization of a safe healthcare environment in the COVID‐19 pandemic context. In this capacity, the Red Cross visited facilities identified by health authorities.
 
Besides our work with the Government of Manitoba, the Canadian Red Cross provided varied support to the province’s Indigenous people.
 
At the beginning of the pandemic, the Manitoba First Nations Pandemic Response Coordination Team (PRCT) was created. AMC Grand Chief Arlen Dumas invited the Red Cross to provide support to the team, a role it continues to play.
 
The Canadian Red Cross bolstered the provincial alternative isolation accommodations by operating a Red Cross isolation site in Winnipeg for First Nations individuals who could not self-isolate at home in their communities, starting in October 2020. Funded through the federal government, the isolation site at a Winnipeg hotel supported about 1,000 individuals from 42 different communities between October and the end of March.
 
Along with operating the alternative isolation site, the Red Cross has also supported First Nations in Manitoba in the COVID-19 response by:
  • Procuring and shipping supplies to First Nations to support isolation sites, on behalf of Indigenous Services Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch. These supplies – including cots, blankets, masks, gloves, cleaning supplies, and gowns – were offered to every First Nation in the province and shipped to 61 communities.
  • Deploying Red Cross teams to support outbreak responses in various communities. This support including EPC assessments and advice, PPE training, and support to leadership. The supported communities included:
    • York Factory First Nation
    • Little Grand Rapids First Nation
    • Shamattawa First Nation
    • Matthias Colomb Cree Nation
    • Pine Creek First Nation
  • Working with First Nations on the planning and implementation of deployments to communities to support vaccination clinics. Our teams have included vaccinators and other support staff.
  • Offering Psychological First Aid training in 2020 to members of First Nations in Manitoba, free-of-charge. The two courses focused on self-care and caring for others. Between the two courses, more than 150 people participated. The Red Cross also offered PPE training, with no fee, for staff of First Nations schools.
In all, the Canadian Red Cross provided numerous different services to support Manitobans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020-21 fiscal year. The variety of projects demonstrated the capabilities of the Red Cross to support governments, families and individuals in need.
 
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