COVID-19 dominated Question Period in the House of Assembly today.

Opposition House Leader David Brazil was the first to raise the issue. He asked Health Minister John Haggie for a general COVID-19 update.

Haggie says there are no confirmed cases in the province, despite what social media may indicate. He recommends people ignore the social media panic.

Haggie claims that as of 11:45 this morning, 52 samples were sent out and all screened negative. Definitive testing happens at a national lab in Winnipeg and they have confirmed 33 negative results, while 19 are still pending.

The federal government has allocated $500-million for each province to fight the virus. Brazil wanted to know what government was doing with that money.

Haggie says the money is there as a down payment and can be spent where needed. He says if they need more they can go back for more.

The Health Minister added that the need is around personal protective equipment and they’re actively pursuing avenues to obtain more. He reiterates that the province is better placed than many in terms of supply.