Health officials reported no new coronavirus cases in Manitoba Monday and say there is just one known active case in the province.
It marked the 13th day since provincial health officials have identified a new case of COVID-19.
That means the total number of lab-confirmed and probable positive cases in Manitoba remains at 325.
At a press conference Monday Manitoba’s chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, said health officials are looking at loosening some of the remaining restrictions on businesses and public activities.
He said the 100-person cap on outdoor public gatherings could be eased, but warns very large gatherings in stadiums and similar venues are unlikely to happen any time soon.
Roussin also said it’s important Manitobans don’t become complacent.
He said officials are getting more reports about Manitobans not adhering to rules around group sizes and physical distancing and warned that could lead to case counts creeping back up in the province.
“Manitobans, we’ve been through a challenging time, and as we loosen things up, it’s a tendency to try to revert back to normal, but we are certainly not back to normal,” Roussin said.
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“This virus is not done with us and if we don’t remain vigilant we will be seeing increasing cases — so we need to adhere to the principals that got us here.”
Roussin also says caution will be needed in the fall and winter when flu season arrives.
The longest previous streak Manitoba has gone without a new case reported was June 6 to 11.
Health officials said 317 people have recovered from the virus as of Monday, and seven have died since the first case was reported in Manitoba in March.
As of Monday 71,559 tests for COVID-19 have been performed in Manitoba.
–With files from The Canadian Press
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
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. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus.
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