Manitoba saw a new record-high number of novel coronavirus cases for the second-straight day Wednesday and reported two new deaths from the virus.
Health officials reported 146 new cases as of Wednesday morning.
The two latest deaths include a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s, both from Winnipeg. Both were previously announced cases, the province says.
The new cases — which the province says includes 39 identified Monday and 107 identified Tuesday — bring the number of active cases in Manitoba to 1,374 while the total number of cases reported since March has risen to 2,925.
In all, 37 Manitobans have died from COVID-19.
Three people are in ICU, with 27 in hospital as of Wednesday, 1,514 people have recovered, and 2,200 tests were completed Tuesday bringing the province’s total number of tests done since early February to 215,861.
The province’s test positivity rate is now at 4.4 per cent, health officials said.
On Tuesday 124 new cases were reported as well as the province’s 35th death, man in his 70s from the Southern Health district.
The new cases reported Wednesday include 114 in Winnipeg, where rising numbers prompted the province two weeks ago to impose further restrictions in the city and surrounding communities, including mandatory mask use in indoor public places and a 10-person limit on gatherings.
Last week, bars, pubs and licensed restaurants in the region were also ordered to start closing earlier, and alcohol sales have been cut off at 10 p.m.
Provincial data shows there is currently 1,163 active cases of COVID-19 in Winnipeg.
The other new cases reported Wednesday include nine in the Interlake-Eastern health region, four reported in the Northern health region, two in the Prairie Mountain Health region, and 17 reported in the Southern Health region.
Potential exposures
Health officials reported new potential exposures to COVID-19 Wednesday, including at several schools and on a recent flight to Winnipeg.
The school exposures include:
• Mitchell Middle School at 203 Third St. in Mitchell on Oct. 7 to 9.
• Margaret Park School at 385 Cork Ave. in Winnipeg on Oct. 5 and 7.
• Acadia Junior High at 175 Killarney Ave. in Winnipeg on Oct. 5 and 6.
The province says the risk for exposure at all three schools is low, based on public health investigations, and in all cases the infections are not believed to be acquired at the schools. Close contacts at all three schools have been advised to self-isolate, the province said.
Health officials are also warning about the risk for exposure on West Jet flight WS204, which flew into Winnipeg from Edmonton on Oct. 2.
Anyone in affected rows one through five on the flight is advised to self-isolate for 14 days following the flight while monitoring for symptoms. Those on the flight but not in the affected rows should self-monitor for symptoms and self-isolate if they develop, the province says.
As the province’s case count climbs, health officials are continuing their call for Manitobans to reduce the number of close contacts outside their households and avoid closed-in or crowded spaces.
–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. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
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