COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) 

(Last Updated– January 21, 2021)

Covid-19 Update

The most recent changes to this page are highlighted in blue text.

The Premier of Manitoba and the Chief Public Health Officer announced on November 10th that the entire province of Manitoba will be elevated to the Red/Critical level beginning on Thursday, November 12th. Further restrictions were announced on November 19th. These restrictions were further extended to January 22, 2021.

Beginning January 23, 2021, some restictions will be relaxed or lifted. They will be in place for the next 3 weeks until February 13th. Full details are available on the Government of Manitoba website.

As soon as the new public health order has been finalized MTAM will update this page and notify members as to how the new orders impact their practices and the sale of non-essential products or services. 

RMTs who are registered with MTAM and several other professional associations in Manitoba are permitted to continue treating clients and must follow current public health guidelines as well as the recommendations of their professional association.

Dr. Roussin stated that Registered Massage Therapists are permitted to continue operating to help “provide access to therapeutic support”.

The Board is conscious of the wide variety of practice environments that MTAM members work in. There are a multitude of different situations and concerns that impact the decisions they make regarding their practices.

The MTAM Board of Directors provided an update to members along with a

COVID-19 PRACTICE FAQ

The FAQ was most recently updated on January 4th and will be further updated shortly to assist them in making informed decisions for their practices. 

Public safety has always been of utmost concern for MTAM and its members. Patients are encouraged to contact their RMT with any treatment-related questions. MTAM members are aware of screening and safety procedures and can answer questions or direct patients to contact Health Links as appropriate. 

“MTAM members are committed to providing professional healthcare and delivering powerful results,” says MTAM Board President Tami Laird. “They care about the safety of their patients and the public, and about upholding the guidelines and protocols to ensure we continue to flatten the curve. MTAM and its Board of Directors fully support members, whether they have already returned to work, or if they are taking additional time to prepare. We are in this together.” 

MTAM encourages members to refer to the MTAM website COVID-19 page and Member Portal for updates and other resources. They may also contact MTAM for individual practice advice when needed.

We will do our best to continue to provide information and guidance as circumstances change.

Stay safe and well!

The MTAM Board of Directors and Staff
 

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Pandemic Response System - Restrictions by Region
Self-Isolation and Travel
State of Emergency Extended - Updated January 4th
MTAM Return to Practice Guidelines
COVID-19 Practice FAQ - Updated January 4th
Additional Resources		  
Financial Supports - UPDATED October 8
Canada Recovery Caregiver Benefit (CRCB), Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), and Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) - UPDATED October 8
Federal/Provincial/Municipal Announcements
Clinical Information
Business Supports
General Pandemic Information

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to change rapidly, as does the information available regarding directives and recommendations. MTAM is working tirelessly to convey information and develop resources for you to effectively manage through this pandemic.

The MTAM office has re-opened by appointment only at this time. Please email info@mtam.mb.ca for an appointment. Individuals will be asked screening questions prior to entering the office and are encouraged to wear a mask and respect physical distancing guidelines.

This page is dedicated to COVID-19 information and is available on the public side of the website so that you and your staff can easily access the information. Other resources are specific to MTAM members and are found in the Member Portal under the Business Tips & Practice Advice section. We encourage you to check these pages daily to look for new and/or updated information.

In the coming months, as the number of active cases rise and fall throughout the province, RMTs should continually review procedures in their practices and take steps to minimize risk of transmission wherever possible.

MTAM strongly urges all members to follow current public health mandates for the use of masks for both RMTs and patients, guidelines for enhanced sanitization procedures and other recommendations as described in the MTAM Return to Practice Guidelines as well as the guidelines set forth by the province's Safe Services Plan. This recommendation is made for the safety of our members and all Manitobans.

MTAM will update members via our website and by email if public health orders, guidelines or restrictions change and if there are any changes in MTAM's recommendations to members.

In the meantime, it is imperitive that we continue to focus on the fundamentals to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

  • Continue to use recommended PPE for both public and RMT safety;
  • Continue to ensure people are able to reasonably maintain two metres of distance;
  • Only conducting necessary and brief exchanges within two metres of others;
  • Continue to apply enhanced cleaning protocols, including common areas like washrooms;
  • Continue to allow appropriate time between appointments for sanitization;
  • Continue to use the Shared Health Screening Tool for patients prior to treatments and for staff before they come to work;
  • Ensure staff stay home when feeling sick; and
  • Follow personal risk reduction measures.

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Government of Manitoba - Pandemic Response System

Beginning Monday, November 9th the Southern Health Region will be elevated to the Red/Critical level. The Winnipeg Metropolitan Health Region remains at the Red/Critical levels and the rest of Manitoba (Eastern/Interlake, Prairie Mountain and Northern regions) remain at the Orange/Restricted level. These restrictions will be in place for a minimum of the next 2 weeks.

Please visit the Government of Manitoba Pandemic Response System website and the Pandemic Response by Region page to learn about the specific responses for your region. MTAM will also email updates to members on RMT specific information as response levels change in each region.

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Self-Isolation and Travel

MTAM recommends that RMTs and massage therapy clients should be mindful of current provincial and federal travel restrictions and self-isolation requirements. 

Several cases of the new COVID-19 variant have now been identified in Canada and the federal government has posted a travel ban on all flights arriving from the United Kingdom until Jan. 6.

International travellers should:

  • Be tested for COVID-19 immediately upon arrival in Manitoba, regardless of it they are displaying symptoms and whether they are visiting the province or are returning from out of the country
  • Self-isolate immediately upon arrival back to the province
  • Make an appointment with a provincial testing site or visit a drive-thru test site, and indicate at the time of testing that they have been out of the country and share the location of travel
  • They should also be tested again after seven days, even if still asymptomatic
  • International travellers need to observe the full 14-day self-isolation period regardless of symptoms and test results
  • Re-testing is advised if an asymptomatic individual develops symptoms at any point, unless the individual had already tested positive.
  • Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and have had close contact to an international traveller should identify this contact to public health during the public health investigation and followup

Read the full bulletin here.

Full details on all other travel restrictions and self-isolation can be found on the Government of Manitoba and Government of Canada websites. 

MTAM members should also refer to the Return to Practice guidelines for further information on self-isolation and travel.

We ask that massage therapy clients be understanding of RMTs and clinics that may need to implement more stringent policies for their practices. Every practice is different and staff may need to take additional precautions to minimize the risk of transmition to their clients and staff. Please discuss any concerns that you may have with your RMT and/or clinic.

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The Government Of Manitoba Extends The State Of Emergency For An Additional 30 Days

The Manitoba Government has extended the provincewide State of Emergency under The Emergency Measures Act to continue to protect the health and safety of all Manitobans and reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The extension takes effect at 4 p.m., Wednesday, January 6th for a period of 30 days.

A State of Emergency allows the Government to take quick action to support Manitobans when they need it most. The State of Emergency was first declared on March 20 by the powers set out in section 10(1) and 10(2) of The Emergency Measures Act to enable the province to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was further extended on April 18, May 17, June 15, July 14, August 12, September 10th, October 9th, November 6th, December 6th and January 6th.
 
For additional information and to view the State of Emergency and public health orders, visit www.manitoba.ca/covid19/soe.html.

For more information on The Emergency Measures Act and a State of Emergency, visit:
https://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/e080e.php.

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Federal, Provincial and Municipal Government Announcements
This section contains regular announcements or declarations by both Federal and Provincial Governments.

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Clinical Information
This section contains information on clinical resources available to practitioners based on Shared Health Manitoba, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the World Health Organization.

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Small Business Resources and Employment Insurance
This section contains information on how to manage the pandemic as a small business owner, including your responsibilities to your employees and what government supports will be available to employees and self-employed individuals. This is an area that we expect to evolve rapidly in the next few weeks as government support plans become more fully developed.

Financial Supports

Business Supports

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General Pandemic Information
This section provides links to trusted sources on the pandemic and a link to travel advisories that affect all Canadians.

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Additional Resources 

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