Throughout the pandemic, Ontario and Quebec have consistently had the highest number of infections in the country. But now, Canada’s unexpected COVID-19 hotspot is Manitoba. After seeming to successfully keep the virus at bay during the first wave, things have taken a disastrous turn for the worse. Health-care workers have called on the Manitoba government to take urgent action, saying the pandemic has spiralled out of control in the province. Jason Kindrachuk, a Canada Research Chair in emerging and re-emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, explains what's happening and the lessons we can all learn as we grapple with this phase of the pandemic.