WINNIPEG – Manitoba’s medical professionals are warning our healthcare system is on the edge of hitting its capacity as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise. Hospital workers say the increase in intake could eventually cause doctors, nurses, and hospitals to end up hitting their maximum capacities and caseloads.

After outbreaks in three St. Boniface Hospital units and two at Victoria, staff are expressing concern about the increased strain on the system. “We are on the brink,” says St. Boniface microbiologist Dr. Phillipe Lagacé-Wiens. “This is what happens when we let our guard down, have too many contacts, relax, and go out with too many people.”

The province has been setting records for hospitalization, with ICU patient counts near their limit and a five-day positive test rate now above 7 per cent.