Manitoba health officials say a record-setting 184 new cases of COVID-19 were identified Tuesday and three more people have died from the virus.
The dire news come as the province also reported its highest daily number of hospitalizations due to the pandemic.
The latest victims include a woman in her 60s connected to the ongoing outbreak at Parkview Place Long Term Care Home in Winnipeg, and a man and woman, both in their 80s, connected to an outbreak at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg.
The death at Parkview Place is the 19th linked to the Edmonton Street personal care home where provincial data shows 31 staff members and 86 residents have tested positive for COVID-19.
Outbreaks have been declared at three separate wards at St. Boniface Hospital — where 22 patients and nine staff had tested positive for the virus as of Monday. Three of Manitoba’s 58 deaths due to COVID-19 are now linked to the outbreaks at the hospital.
St. Boniface suspended in-person visits to most patients indefinitely on Sunday as it tries to get a series of outbreaks under control.
The new cases bring Manitoba’s total number of cases reported since March to 4,532. Provincial data shows 83 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19, including 15 who are in intensive care.
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Of Tuesday’s newly reported cases, 144 are from the Winnipeg health region, 19 are in the Southern Health region, four are in Prairie Mountain Health region, eight are from the Northern health region, and nine were reported in the Interlake-Eastern health region.
The number of active cases reported in Manitoba rose slightly above the number of people have recovered Tuesday, according to health data, although the province’s chief public officer of health has said the number of active cases is likely over inflated due to a backlog.
Provincial data shows there were 2,238 active cases as of Tuesday morning, while 2,236 people have recovered.
The province’s current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 7.5 per cent, according to provincial data.
Health officials also warned of the risk of exposure at a funeral in Cross Lake Oct. 18. They say someone who tested positive for COVID-19 attended the service when they were in their infectious period. Anyone who attended the funeral is advised to self-isolate and seek testing if symptoms develop.
Meanwhile the latest numbers from the Manitoba First Nations COVID-19 Pandemic Response Coordination Team show numbers continue to rise within those communities as well.
As of Monday morning, 64 new cases of COVID-19 were identified since the last update on Friday. One new death was also reported, bringing the total to three.
There are now 378 active cases, including 195 in First Nations communities and 318 reported in outside communities. Sixteen of the cases reported by the Manitoba First Nations COVID-19 Pandemic Response Coordination Team are in hospital with two in the ICU.
The five day average test positivity rate is 5.6 per cent when it comes to First Nation cases.
On Monday Manitoba Hydro confirmed someone has tested positive for COVID-19 at its Keeyask Generating Station project, roughly 725 km north of Winnipeg on the lower Nelson River.
In an email to Global News a spokesperson for Hydro said the person had been in isolation while waiting for his test results and is now being transferred off site.
The spokesperson said health officials have been notified and tracing and testing of close contacts is underway. Those close contacts have been placed into isolation pending their test results, the spokesperson said.
Across the province Manitoba health officials say 1,721 tests for COVID-19 were completed Monday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February to 244,606.
–With files from Corey Callaghan
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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