The provincial Infrastructure Minister is announcing an extension that will "reduce the spread of COVID-19 and further protect Manitobans."

Minister Ron Schuler is announcing that the state of emergency will extend another 30 days, breaking the record for the longest time under a state of emergency order that the province has ever seen.

“Our government recognizes that there is still a lot of work to be done against the fight of COVID-19 and will continue to take the necessary precautions for the health and safety of all Manitobans," Schuler says in a statement.

The 30-day extension begins at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

This extension continues to allow the province to utilize section 10(1) and 10(2) of the Emergency Measures Act. The extension of the state of emergency does not change the current Public Health Orders.

The province first declared a state of emergency on March 20, 2020, following the lead of other provinces. In total, Manitoba will have been under a state of emergency for 349 days when it ends just shy of a year on March 4. 

The pandemic was first declared on March 11 by the World Health Organization.

Manitoba’s Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) issued a Situation Notification to government departments, federal entities and external partners on January 22 after becoming aware of the capabilities of the COVID-19 virus. The Manitoba Emergency Co-ordination Centre was pre-activated on March 13 and officially activated three days later. It has since continued to be in operation facilitating the province’s response to acquiring PPE, developing the Pandemic Response System, ensuring alternative isolation accommodations, and advising on and enforcing coordination of public health orders.