Vulnerable Manitoban feels left behind by province’s new pandemic approach

A vulnerable Manitoban feels left behind by the province as officials shift their approach to dealing with the pandemic.

For Indigenous Elder Geraldine Shingoose, this week has been a lot. She’s watched COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates rise in the province.

And on Wednesday, she says she felt like the premier abandoned her.

“I felt scared, it’s almost like she’s giving up on Manitobans,” said Shingoose of Premier Heather Stefanson.

The Manitoba government said Wednesday everyone in the province will likely be exposed to COVID-19 in the coming weeks and the province’s effort is shifting away from trying to contain its spread.

Provincial health officials say the province is not giving up the battle. But given the rapid spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, the focus is now more on boosting vaccinations, managing virus spread at the community level instead of among individuals, and focusing testing on higher-risk settings.

“I think what’s important is that Manitobans look after themselves, this virus is running throughout our community and it’s up to Manitobans to look after themselves,” said Stefanson.

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Shingoose, while vaccinated, is an elder with a heart problem.

“My heart rate is really low, I did have open heart surgery in 2012,” she said. “My heart condition is very serious. If I got COVID, then I don’t think I’d be able to survive.”

She says the mantra of ‘we’re all in this together’ seems to have rapidly and dramatically changed. It’s a tough pill to swallow says the knowledge keeper who was among the first vaccinated in the province.

“It is here to stay, and our ability to contain the virus is limited. It is highly likely that everyone will be exposed to the virus in the coming weeks,” said Dr. Jazz Atwal, the province’s deputy chief public health officer.

“We must learn to live with this virus. There must be a balance.”

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That balance feels lopsided to Shingoose.

Although there are currently public-health orders across the province, Shingoose says vulnerable people like herself are watching hospitalizations climb, thinking maybe now isn’t the time for vulnerable people to accept to “learn to live with it.”

“To the families, the ones who have passed on, is she telling them to learn to live with it?” asked Shingoose.

—With files from The Canadian Press.