Health officials say another three Manitobans have died from COVID-19 and 157 more have been infected with the virus.
The latest deaths are from the Winnipeg area and include a woman in her 30s, a woman in her 50s, as well as a woman in her 80s connected to an outbreak at Concordia Place Personal Care Home.
Health officials said a previously reported death — a woman in her 80s from the Interlake announced Thursday — has been removed from the province’s list of COVID-19 deaths due to reporting error, so the total number of Manitobans with the virus who have died now sits at 823.
Five previously announced cases have also been removed due to what health officials say is a data correction, meaning since March, Manitoba has now recorded 29,280 cases of the virus.
The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 7.5 per cent provincially and 4.9 per cent in Winnipeg.
Of 157 the new cases reported Friday, 29 are from the Winnipeg Health region, 14 are in the Southern Health region, 24 are from the Prairie Mountain Health region, 81 were found in the Northern Health region, and nine were reported in the Interlake-Eastern Health region.
Provincial data shows there are currently 3,490 active cases across the province.
As of Friday morning health officials said there are 122 people in hospital with active COVID-19 as well as 150 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 272 hospitalizations.
There are 29 people in intensive care units with active COVID-19 as well as 10 who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care for a total of 39 ICU patients.
Health officials say 2,176 tests for COVID-19 were completed Thursday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February to 473,801.
Travel restrictions now in place
The latest deaths and cases come as travel restrictions requiring anyone who enters Manitoba to self-isolate for 14 days start Friday.
Since last June, only travellers arriving from areas east of Terrace Bay in northern Ontario had been subject to the requirement.
All out-of-province arrivals are now covered by the public-health measure.
Premier Brian Pallister has said the move is needed because of the growing spread of COVID-19 variants and delays in vaccine supplies.
There are exceptions for people travelling for essential work and medical care, and for residents of border communities who cross into Saskatchewan or Ontario for necessities.
At a Friday press conference Manitoba’s chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said while Manitobans are allowed to go to properties in Ontario cottage country under the new rules, travelling for non-essential reasons — especially out of province — is not recommended.
“Not travelling will reduce the impact of COVID-19 by reducing the likelihood of further importations of this virus,” he said.
Roussin added Manitobans who do decide to travel to Ontario cottage country need to follow public health orders in place there, upon arrival.
“For instance, visitors to Ontario must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival, unless they’re going to the property they own for less than 24-hours,” he said.
“So if you do choose to visit your secondary property or cottage you should take that leave-no-trace approach.”
“Drive straight to your property without making any stops or visits on the way, stay at the property for the duration of your visit, and (don’t) interact or visit with people outside your household.”
Dr. Jazz Atwal, acting chief health officer, has said Manitobans who were outside the province before the new order came into effect will be exempt from quarantining.
On Thursday health officials announced eight more deaths from COVID-19 and the province identified 132 news cases of the coronavirus.
–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.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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