Health officials reported 49 new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba on Monday, as the province moved to make masks mandatory in hospitals and health centres.
The new cases bring Manitoba’s total number of lab-confirmed positive cases reported since March to 993 and the province’s five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate to 2.9 per cent.
Thirty-five of the new cases are in the Prairie Mountain Health region, two are in the Interlake-Eastern Health region, four are in the Southern Health region, and and eight are from Winnipeg.
Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, said the majority of the Prairie Mountain Health cases are linked to intentional testing related to known clusters in communal living communities.
Roussin wouldn’t identify the type of community for fear of stigmatization but says there are multiple Hutterite colonies that have positive cases.
There are currently 395 active cases in Manitoba, 586 individuals have recovered and 12 have died from COVID-19, health officials said Monday.
Six people are currently in hospital, including one who is in intensive care.
Mandatory masks at hospitals, health centres
Manitoba’s Health Minister Cameron Friesen announced earlier in the day Monday all visitors arriving at health-care facilities in Manitoba will be required to wear a non-medical mask to be permitted into the site starting Sept. 1.
The requirement also extends to outpatients attending appointments at clinics within hospitals and health centres, the minister added.
“As we move towards the fall, additional proactive and preventative measures are needed to ensure the risk of exposure to this virus is minimized for patients and our dedicated front-line clinical staff who care for them,” Friesen said in a release.
The province stopped short of mandating mask use at primary care clinics and other locations providing health services, but health officials are encouraging their use at those locations as well.
Under the rules visitors are asked to arrived at facilities with their own masks, and those who do not have one will be either directed to purchase one or in some circumstances, a mask will be provided, the province said.
“Wearing masks provides additional protection for people, particularly in indoor spaces where physical distancing is not possible,” said Roussin.
“Wearing masks in hospitals and health centres will ensure we are all doing what we can to protect ourselves and others from this virus.”
Possible exposure, new testing sites
Public health officials warned Monday about recent potential COVID-19 exposures in Brandon.
They say the exposure to the virus is possible at the Corral Centre Safeway at 921 18th St. North on Aug. 15 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Aug. 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Aug. 19 from 2 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
While health officials say the risk for transmission is low, anyone who was at the Safeway during those times should seek testing if symptoms appear.
The province is also making some changes to testing sites in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie.
In Winnipeg a new testing site will open at 2735 Pembina Hwy Tuesday. The new site ill be open on a walk-in basis from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week. Meanwhile the testing site at Access Fort Gary (135 Plaza Drive) will no longer be offering COVID-19 testing as of 4 p.m. Monday.
Health officials also said Monday the drive-thru testing site 245 Royal Rd. in Portage la Prairie is moving.
They say the Royal Road location will be closed on Wednesday and will reopen Thursday at the corner of Portage Avenue and 5th Street SE. The new location will be open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. by appointment only. Call 204-428-3471 to book an appointment.
A full list of testing sites across the province can be found on the government’s website.
Health officials say only those experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or those who have been recommended by public health, should be tested.
Provincial data shows 1,544 laboratory tests were completed Sunday, bringing the total number of tests completed since early February to 127,149.
Record-setting weekend
The new cases Monday come after Manitoba reported two straight days of record-setting coronavirus case numbers over the weekend.
The 42 cases reported Saturday broke the previous one-day total record of 40 first set in April and then matched again earlier this month.
On Sunday health officials reported another 72 new cases.
Of the cases reported Sunday, 45 were in the Prairie Mountain Health, 16 were from the Southern Health region, nine were in Winnipeg, one was in the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority region, and one was reported in the Northern Health region.
The ongoing spike in cases reported in the Prairie Mountain Health region, including a large cluster in Brandon, moved health officials to elevate the region to the restricted “orange” level under the province’s pandemic response system on Friday.
The move means as of Monday, the province is requiring masks in all public indoor places and at all gatherings — both indoor and outdoor — throughout the region, which includes Brandon, Dauphin and other communities in much of the western part of the province.
Public gatherings are also going to be restricted to 10 people.
On Monday health officials said those who don’t have to wear masks in the region include children five and under, anyone with medical conditions — other than COVID-19 — which prevent them from safely wearing a mask, and anyone who is unable to put on or remove a mask without help.
Health officials said the restrictions on gathering sizes include weddings, funerals, banquets, receptions and professional sporting activities. More than 10 people are allowed in businesses or facilities allowed open under public health orders, as long as public distancing measures are in place to maintain at least two-metres of distancing, the province said.
Gathering limits in the rest of the province remain at 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors.
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.
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