With public health orders set to expire Saturday morning, Manitoba's top doctor is saying very little about what could be coming next.

Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin says in order for restrictions to loosen significantly, there needs to be a clear downward trend in the test positivity rate. The test positivity rate today is 11.9 per cent in Manitoba. It had been as low as 11.5 per cent last week, but has come down from a high of 14.3 per cent back on May 22nd.

"We don't look at just one indicator," stresses Dr. Roussin. "I can't say we have to hit this specific level of test positivity, but absolutely we have to see that that's a clear downward trend."

In addition to test positivity rate, Dr. Roussin says there has to be decreased demand on our health care system. As of today, there are 344 Manitobans with COVID-19 that are hospitalized. When the most recent public health orders were announced on May 27th, there were 324 Manitobans with COVID-19 in hospital.

"I think it's clear as to why we need to have restrictions like this when we see our ICU numbers when we see the demands on the health care system," stresses Dr. Roussin. "But we know it's getting challenging."

As of today, a total of 102 Manitoba patients are receiving intensive care for COVID-19.

When it comes to transmission of the virus, health officials have said all along that it is less likely to contract the virus outdoors. Dr. Roussin says with outdoor gatherings there is a lower risk than indoor gatherings. For that reason, he hints that some COVID-19 restrictions might soon be able to loosen for outdoor settings.

Some have questioned why it is taking Manitoba so long to unveil a reopening strategy. Other provinces already released their plans in May. Dr. Roussin says the third wave was late to arrive in Manitoba, which means it will take longer for our province to catch up. However, he notes Manitoba is most definitely working on a roadmap for recovery in a post-pandemic province.

"Remember, a post-pandemic Manitoba isn't a post-COVID Manitoba," he says. "We're going to be dealing with COVID for likely years to come, but we are going to be in a post-pandemic Manitoba at some point and hopefully not too far from now."

And, as for special privileges for Manitobans that are fully vaccinated, Dr. Roussin is not ruling that out.

"We're taking those types of things very much under consideration right now," he says. "We're looking for ways to make being fully vaccinated, count. So we don't have anything specific. There is going to be more later this week that we can discuss on that."

He adds as more and more Manitobans get vaccinated, Manitoba will be able to loosen more orders.

"And we may even start being able to target certain things for fully vaccinated people," he hints.