Manitoba reports 5 new coronavirus cases, all from same Hutterite colony

Manitoba’s five latest novel coronavirus cases are tied to one Hutterite colony, health officials say.

The province reported the new cases Friday, bringing  Manitoba total number of lab-confirmed positive and probable positive cases reported since March to 336.

The new cases include a man and woman in their 60s, a man and woman in their 30s, and a woman in her 20s. All five live on Hutterite colony in the east Interlake, according to the province.

Officials are investigating and say additional information on the cases will be made public as needed.

As of Friday the province says there are 11 known active cases in Manitoba and 318 people have recovered from the virus since March. Seven Manitobans have died from COVID-19.

No one is hospitalized or in intensive care with COVID-19.

Since early February 73,885 tests for COVID-19 have been done in Manitoba, with 844 tests completed on Thursday.

The province says the testing site at 328 Fischer Ave. in The Pas will have limited hours and be closed temporarily for building maintenance next week. Hours will be limited to 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, July 20, and the facility will be closed both Tuesday July 21 and Wednesday July 22.

A full list of testing sites and hours can be found on the province’s website.

5:08 Returning to work during the pandemic

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. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.