Manitoba's acting chief public health officer is sending a letter to the province's hotel association, cautioning its members to avoid dealing differently with people exhibiting flu-like symptoms.

The letter is in response to reports that a Winnipeg hotel asked people from St. Theresa Point First Nation to leave the premises on Thursday.

'There should be no reason to make any differences, any different public health recommendations, whether it's for hotels or any other public sites.'—Dr. Elise Weiss, acting chief provincial public health officer

That is the same day that swine flu was confirmed in two residents of the remote Manitoba community.

More than 200 people from the reserve, located about 500 kilometres from Winnipeg, have reported being ill in the past week. The majority of them are being treated in the community, but 21 have been sent to hospitals in Winnipeg.

Of those, two are in critical condition. They are women in their 20s, including one who was pregnant but has since had a miscarriage.

Dr. Elise Weiss said there is no reason for people who might have flu symptoms to be treated any differently.

"It doesn't make a difference in terms of where people eat, live, work or play. The public health precautions are the same everywhere," she said. "So therefore, there should be no reason to make any differences, any different public health recommendations, whether it's for hotels or any other public sites."

Public exposed to illness all the time

The spread of the current strain of H1N1 influenza A virus, which first appeared in Mexico in April, has caused fear, but it is important to remember that people are exposed to all sorts of illnesses in the normal course of the day, Weiss said.

During a normal flu season, between 4,000 and 8,000 Canadians — mostly seniors — will die from pneumonia related to flu, according to Health Canada. So far, H1N1 has been blamed for three deaths in the country.

Some St. Theresa residents who are in Winnipeg to be with hospitalized family members were told to move out of the St. Regis Hotel on Thursday. Kyle Wyatt, the hotel's general manager, said he was contacted by Health Canada and told to transfer the St. Theresa guests to another facility.

He did not have an exact number of people affected, but did say it was guests from five rooms. Health Canada did not explain to him why the guests had to be moved out.

CBC News has put in an interview request with Health Canada but has not yet had those calls returned.

Hotels association looking for guidance

Jim Baker, head of the Manitoba Hotels Association, said he has been trying to get information from health officials about what to do in such a situation. It's tough for hotel owners to know what to do in a situation where potentially infected guests could be checking in, he said.

"We do know that this is how a flu gets passed," Baker said. "You know, whether it's swine flu or avian flu or whatever, it gets passed by communication. So, you know, what do you do?"

'We do know that this is how a flu gets passed. You know, whether it's swine flu or avian flu or whatever, it gets passed by communication. So, you know, what do you do?'—Jim Baker, Manitoba Hotels Association

Weiss said her letter would outline how the hotels should handle those matters. She said the situation underscores the reason the province doesn't identify the exact communities where H1N1 cases have been confirmed. Those people can become stigmatized, she said.

"People will assume that there is a risk from a certain community when, really, it is not the case. It's unfortunate, and it shouldn't be that way," she said. "[H1N1] is present at this point in time throughout the province, so it's expected."

Normal precautions should be taken by anyone to stay healthy, she advised.

Health officials have limited the release of details of individual cases to the public in the health region in which the patients live. The cases in St. Theresa Point were revealed by that community's leaders, not the province.

The provincial government is encouraging the public to maintain their immune systems by making healthy food choices, being physically active and getting enough sleep.

Other tips to prevent the spread of any germs include:

• Covering a cough or sneeze, using a tissue or the inside of the elbow.
• Washing hands often with soap and water, especially after a cough or sneeze.
• Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth.

Those with flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, aches and fatigue, are most contagious for about one week. During that time, people are encouraged to stay home from school or work and limit contact with others to reduce the chance of spreading the virus.

Anyone seeking advice or care can call Health Links at 204-788-8200 or 1-888-315-9257.