Manitoba health officials say there were two new cases of COVID-19 as of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday and a fifth person has died.
Two other probable cases came back negative meaning the total probable and confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus stays at 246.
A fifth death has been reported, a woman in her 60s who lived in the Prairie Mountain Health Region. Officials say she did have an underlying medical condition.
Nine people are in hospital, with four in ICU. There are 132 active cases and 108 people have recovered.
Cadham Provincial Laboratory performed 305 tests Tuesday. A total of 17,902 tests have been performed since early February.
Manitoba’s second community clinic and testing site is now open, said Lanette Siragusa of Shared Health.
Dr. Brent Roussin, the province’s chief public health officer, said the low numbers doesn’t mean Manitobans should get complacent, and should continue to social distance.
“We want to continue to see low numbers, but the only way that’s going to happen is if Manitobans continue to strictly adhere to the restrictions we have in place.”
Dr. Roussin said he will announce on Thursday a lifting of some testing restrictions to bump up the testing numbers.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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