Health officials in Manitoba say there are no new cases of the novel coronavirus to report Friday.
That means the total number of confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba remains at 250.
As of 9:30 a.m. Friday, eight people were in hospital, four in an intensive care unit. There were 113 active cases and 132 people have recovered. Five people have died.
It marks the first time the province has seen more recovered cases than active cases, something Manitoba’s chief public health officer says is significant.
“This is thanks to the efforts of Manitobans for staying home, for practising social distancing,” said Dr. Brent Roussin at the province’s Friday COVID-19 update. “We’ve seen likely some benefits from our collective work.
“Again, we need to remain cautious that our risk is not reduced, the virus is still in Manitoba (and) we need to continue our efforts at social distancing and continue to follow these numbers closely.”
Roussin said Cadham Provincial Laboratory performed 508 tests Thursday. A total of 18,856 tests have been performed since early February.
The province extended public health orders Thursday, including restricting travel to northern Manitoba and ordering anyone who travels into Manitoba from another province or country to self-isolate.
The orders around self-isolating do not apply to those involved in the commercial transportation of goods, those who live in a neighbouring jurisdiction who travel to Manitoba for work, and health-care workers who travel to work from outside the province, the province said Friday.
Exceptions to the travel ban north of the 53rd parallel include that residents of northern and remote communities may continue to move within the north, delivery of goods and services may continue, and those who travel to the north for work or child custody may continue to do so.
On Friday the province clarified an order made Thursday telling appliance, electronics and furniture stores to close. Roussin now says appliance stores and furniture stores that sell appliances may remain open to the public, provided physical distancing measures are in place.
The public health orders will remain in effect until May 1. A full list of the orders can be found on the government’s website.
Chief Nursing Officer for Shared Health Lanette Siragusa said Friday the province will also look at limiting the number of health-care facilities in which health-care workers can work at to minimize the risk of spreading the virus between spaces.
She said provincial officials would start discussing the idea with union representatives later Friday.
“These are not easy discussions and they’re not easy to implement operationally,” she said.
“But they are vital to ensuring the protection of our most vulnerable patients.”
As the weather gets warmer outside Roussin said Friday Manitobans can take advantage of the nicer temperatures by going into their yards with family, but reminds Manitobans not to get together with neighbours and to keep a distance of at least two-metres distance from others while out walking.
“We want to ensure the ability to keep that physical distancing from others at this time,” he said.
“Certainly do connect virtually with others, stay connected with your loved ones.”
Friday marked the third time in less than week Manitoba had no new cases to report, but Roussin that doesn’t mean Manitobans should stop their efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19.
That means staying home as much as possible, washing hands frequently, and maintaining physical distancing, he said.
“The recent numbers in Manitoba are showing that we were never helpless against this virus, that we’ve put measures into place and all Manitobans stepped-up to help limit the spread of this virus,” said Roussin.
“We should be cautiously optimistic to see the numbers of this last week, (but) it is too soon for us to let up on our efforts to continue to interrupt the spread.”
Earlier in the day Friday the province announced it is increasing its COVID-19 procurement fund by $300 million.
The newly announced money is in addition to a $100-million fund started earlier this month.
The fund will be used to support outbreak planning, prevention and mitigation efforts and allow the province to secure supplies and resources, according to the province.
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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