'Don't give up,' Manitoba NDP leader pleads with community as Omicron takes hold

Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinewis pleading with Manitobans and afriendin hospitalto not give upin the face of the surging Omicron variant.

"I heard the premier this week say that Manitobans have to look after themselves," he told reportersFriday, after speaking about the need to support child-care centres.

"TheManitobathat I know is one where Manitobans don't just look after themselves. They look after each other, and that's what Manitobans have been doing for this entire pandemic.

"Itmakes no sense to me to give up now just because the finish line is in sight."

WATCH | 'Don't give up' on each other, NDP leader says:

'Don't give up' on following pandemic rules, helping each other: Kinew

3 years ago

Duration 1:14

Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew acknowledges the pandemic has been tough, but he is pleading with Manitobans to adhere to the public health orders to keep everyone safe.

Kinew slammed the comments on Wednesday from Premier Heather Stefanson, aspublic healthconceded the rapidly spreading COVID-19 variant leavesManitobawithno choice but to shift itsapproachfrom containing the virusto mitigating the risk.

Stefansonhad suggestedit is thepublic not government that'sresponsible for slowingCOVID-19's spread.

"This virus is running throughout our community and it's up to Manitobans to look after themselves," the premier said at the time.

At a news conference Thursday,Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chiefpublic health officer, said several times the province'snew approach to dealing with the pandemic does not equate with giving up.

However, the NDP leadertook Stefanson'scomments to meanan abdication of government's responsibilities.

"My message to Manitobans right now is it still matters what we do," he saidon Friday. "It still matters if we can help people like my buddy to get more care from a nurse at the bedside."

Kinew begs hospitalized friend to fight

Kinew's eyes welled up while speaking of a friend who was fighting for his lifein an ICU, despite following public health adviceand getting vaccinated.

"Theday after he got out he got the ventilator taken out of himhe was shipped from Health Sciences Centre to a hospital hundreds of kilometres away. He is still fighting for his life right now."

Earlier this week, Shared Health said since October 175 stable patients had been transferred from one regional health authority to another to make room in hospitals.

Kinew said individual Manitobanshaven't stoppedfollowing public health orders, getting vaccinated and wearing a mask.

To his "dear buddy in a hospital bed," he offered the same message.

"You probably can't even understand this right now, but please don't give up. We haven't given up on you," Kinew said, his voicewavering.

WATCH | Former premier Brian Pallister's viral moment:

Dont gather for holidays, Pallister urges

4 years ago

Duration 1:23

If you dont think that COVIDs real, right now youre an idiot, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said as he asked people to avoid holiday gatherings. COVID-19 numbers remain high in the province even after heightened pandemic restrictions were introduced last month.

Manitoba politicians have garnered attention in the pastfor making an impassioned plea.

Former premier Brian Pallisterwas praised internationallyfor his emotionalspeech in which he called himself the Grinch that stole Christmas for limiting holiday gathering sizes.

On Friday, the governing Tories respondedto the allegationsthey havesurrendered to the Omicron variant by stating they areworkingalongsideManitobansin gettingthrough the pandemic.

"As public health officials have stressed, we must adapt our response as the virus itself changes. Given the Omicron variant is highly transmissible and has a shorter incubation period, we must focus our efforts on mitigating its spread and protecting our health system. As such, restrictions remain in place to limit gatheringsizes and in various indoor settings where the risk of transmission is high," the premier's office said in a statement.

Speeding up foreign nurse accreditation

In another development, the NDP's MalayaMarcelino had harsh words for the government. She said Wednesday it canget as many as 90 internationallyeducated nurses (IEN) working in Manitoba hospitals in the coming weeks if the accreditation process is sped up, yet it has failed to meet with a licensing bodythat could help.

The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba told CBC News it hasn't been able to organize a meeting to discuss the initiative, since the province announced funding last July to help these health-care workers get the required certification.

"I know personally that IENadvocates have been reaching out to speak to members of the government without any success, butI never thought that the colleges of nursing would also be in the same boat."

The government did not respond to a question asking why a meeting hasn't been held.

About 1,360 internationally educated nurses have met basic eligibility criteria to work in the province, the government said.

But the college said it is only aware of seven applicants that meet provincial requirements, and 48 applicants are currently at different stages of registration.

TheCollege of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba did not provide figures.