An eighth Manitoban has died from COVID-19.
Health officials said Tuesday a man in his 70s from southern Manitoba who hadn’t yet been identified as a positive case is the virus’ latest victim in Manitoba.
While a government release announcing the man’s death didn’t specify when he died, a provincial spokesperson later confirmed he died July 22, after a request was made by Global News.
“Public health announced the death today after a thorough investigation and confirmation of results.” the spokesperson said in an email.
The man was not hospitalized when he died and the province later said he is a known contact of a previously reported case.
The man’s death is the first reported from COVID-19 in Manitoba since May 5.
The man is one of five new cases reported Tuesday. Manitoba’s total of lab-confirmed and probable known cases identified since March now sits at 405.
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The other four new cases include two people in the east Interlake, one person in Winnipeg, and one person from the Prairie Mountain Health region. They include a man in his 50s, a woman in her 40s, a man in his 20s, and male between the ages of 10 and 19, according to provincial data.
As of Tuesday three people with COVID-19 are hospitalized, including two in intensive care.
The province says there are 78 known active cases and 319 Mantiobans have recovered from the virus.
Update on possible exposure in Gull Lake
Public health officials also updated previously released information about a potential exposure at the Sherwood Grocery Store in Gull Lake, roughly 73 km northeast of Winnipeg.
On Monday they said a person who has since tested positive for the virus had been at the store July 19, 20, and 21 while symptomatic.
They now say the person had been at the store July 20 and 21, not July 19.
Close contacts to the case will be notified, the province says, but anyone who was in the store during those days should self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested should they develop.
Health officials said 735 labratory tests for COVID-19 were completed Monday, bringing the total number of tests completed in the province since early February to 85,702.
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.
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