Health officials in Manitoba are reporting another nine COVID-19 deaths and 320 new infections across the province.
Manitoba’s chief public health offcier, Dr. Brent Roussin, and the province’s chief nursing officer, Lanette Siragusa, announced the latest cases and victims as the province released details of its latest COVID-19 modelling Friday.
The modelling show that three people end up in hospital and one person dies for every 48 cases of COVID-19 reported.
Roussin says if no public health measures had been put in place, there would have been up to 1,055 new infections a day by this Sunday.
The province imposed orders banning large public gathering, closing non-essential businesses, and forbidding in-home gatherings with a few exceptions Nov. 12 and daily cases have been tracking between 300 and 500 recently.
The new cases reported Friday bring the province’s total reported since March to 18,069. The province’s death toll is now 362.
The latest deaths reported Friday include:
- a female in her 50s from the Interlake–Eastern health region;
- a male in his 60s from the Winnipeg health region;
- a male in his 70s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
- a female in her 80s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
- a female in her 80s from Winnipeg health region, linked to the outbreak at the Lions Manor Senior Housing;
- a female in her 90s from Prairie Mountain Health region, linked to the outbreak at Fairview Personal Care Home;
- a female in her 90s from Prairie Mountain Health region, linked to the outbreak at Fairview Personal Care Home;
- a male in his 90s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to the outbreak at Holy Family Personal Care Home; and
- a male in his 90s from the Winnipeg health region.
Friday’s new infections come from across Manitoba including 200 in the Winnipeg Health region, 54 cases in the Southern Health region, 20 in the Prairie Mountain Health region, 30 cases in the Northern Health region, and 16 cases in the Interlake-Eastern Health region.
Provincial data shows Manitoba’s five-day test positivity rate was 13.4 per cent provincially and 14.6 in Winnipeg as of Friday.
There were 9,172 active cases of COVID-19 across the province, according to the data, but Roussin has said the number is likely inflated due to tracking backlogs.
Manitoba has had a surge of COVID-19 cases this fall and on Thursday health officials reported 368 new cases and 12 additional deaths.
Roussin has repeatedly said intensive care units are being stretched close to capacity.
Siragusa said Friday public-health orders have made a difference but hospitals and front-line workers remain under pressure.
The modelling numbers show Manitoba was on track to hit 100 per cent ICU capacity — with COVID-19 patients alone — by Nov. 23.
That would have left no room for any other patients in need of a critical care bed if the restrictions hadn’t been implemented, Siragusa noted.
As of Friday, there were 361 people in hospital — up from 357 Thursday — with 55 people in intensive care due to COVID-19.
Meanwhile outbreaks continue at personal care homes, health facilities, and hospitals across the province. On Friday health officials said a new outbreak has been declared at the Brandon Correctional Centre in Brandon.
On Thursday Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister didn’t mince his words as he urged Manitobans to take the pandemic seriously.
At the end of a news conference — after reporters had finished asking questions — Pallister offered harsh words for people who don’t believe the novel coronavirus is a threat.
“If you don’t think that COVID’s real right now, you’re an idiot,” the premier said.
“You need to understand that we’re all in this together.”
Manitoba was facing the highest rate of new coronavirus infections among the provinces until it was surpassed by Alberta last week.
While the public health orders are scheduled to expire next Friday, Roussin has said some restrictions will remain in place because daily cases and hospitalization rates are still too high.
On Friday Roussin said an announcement on the province’s plans to extend the current public health orders around COVID-19 should come early next week.
In the meantime he is keeping tight-lipped on whether or not the new round of restrictions would be any less strict than those currently in place, or whether or not they will allow for groups to gather in homes over the holidays.
–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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