Winnipeg Free Press By: Nathan Clark Opinion Friday marks the anniversary of a significant and unfortunate milestone in Manitoba. March 12, 2020 – the day when the province’s first COVID-19 case was announced – is a day many of us remember well. I know I do. As special assistant to Manitoba’s health minister, I had expected this day was coming for quite some time. It was inevitable. The pandemic was already wreaking havoc in Ontario. In British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, officials were scrambling to combat an outbreak at the Lynn Valley Care Home. Our teams had prepped speaking notes weeks ahead of time for Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, and then-health minister Cameron Friesen. Despite the strong warnings from public health officials and the province’s top politicos, COVID-19 was bound to be detected in Manitoba whether we liked it or not.