Coronavirus: 7th death in Manitoba reported, health officials say

Manitoba health officials say another person has died in the province from the novel coronavirus, a man in his 70s in the Southern Health region.

This brings the total number of deaths in Manitoba to seven.

There was one new case of COVID-19 reported Tuesday, bringing the total to 282.

Four people are currently in hospital, with none in intensive care. There are 37 active cases and 238 people who have recovered.

Health officials also announced a cluster of five cases at a workplace in the Prairie Mountain health region.

Dr. Brent Roussin, the province’s chief public health officer, said the people at the business are self-isolating and officials are working with patients to “undertake detailed contact tracing.”

The company’s other workers are being tested, he added, and if there is any other danger to the public, that information will be released.

It isn’t known yet if the first case in that cluster came from community transmission or travel, said Roussin.

Shared Health’s Monday launch of a new online portal for test results was a successful one, said Lanette Siragusa of Shared Health.

As of 3 p.m. Monday, 473 people had registered for the service, and 275 had already received their results online, she said.

There were no new cases of the novel coronavirus Monday, and local businesses have started slowly reopening under strict guidelines.

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.