Health officials say another three Manitobans have died from COVID-19 and 89 more have been infected with the virus.
The latest cases announced on the province’s online COVID-19 portal Monday bring the province’s total number of cases reported since March to 29,651 after health officials said two previously announced infections were removed due to a data correction.
Since March, 832 Manitobans have now died from COVID-19.
Manitoba’s new cases include 18 cases in the Winnipeg Health region, four cases in the Southern Health region, three cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region, 42 cases in the Northern Health region, and 22 cases in the Interlake-Eastern Health region.
The latest deaths include:
- a man in his 70s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region, linked to an outbreak at the Heritage Life Personal Care Home in Niverville;
- a man in his 80s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region, linked to an outbreak at the Heritage Life Personal Care Home in Niverville; and
- a woman in her 80s from the Winnipeg health region.
As of Monday morning health officials said there are 104 people in hospital with active COVID-19 as well as 151 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 255 hospitalizations.
There are 27 people in intensive care units with active COVID-19 as well as 11 who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care for a total of 38 ICU patients.
The five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate was 7.9 per cent provincially and 4.2 per cent in Winnipeg as of Monday morning.
Health officials say 1,603 tests for novel coronavirus were done Sunday, bringing the total number of tests done across the province since February to 478,810.
There are 3,466 active cases of COVID-19 across Manitoba, according to provincial data.
Over the weekend, health officials reported 285 new cases of COVID-19 and the deaths of six Manitobans with the virus.
Lockdown on Pauingassi First Nation
Health officials said Monday Pauingassi First Nation has been moved to the red, or critical level of the province’s pandemic response system due to rising case counts in the community, roughly 282 km northeast of Winnipeg.
The move means public gatherings are not allowed and chief and council have directed all community members to only leave their homes to seek testing or medical care, or for one person to leave for essential supplies.
Those working in essential services are allowed to leave their homes, the province said. Masks must be worn outside the home, health officials said.
With cases continuing to rise in the north, health officials announced changes to the province’s health orders Monday that will eliminate the essential items list in northern Manitoba.
The move will allow stores in the north to open for the sale of products with occupancy limits of 25 per cent only or a maximum of 250 people, whichever is lower.
Health officials say the change is being made in an effort to reduce travel to other parts of the province after the essential items list was lifted for stores in the rest of the province last week.
Meanwhile health officials said a new outbreak has been declared at Actionmarguerite St. Joseph personal care home in Winnipeg, but a previously declared outbreak at Actionmarguerite St. Vital in Winnipeg has ended.
Earlier in the day Monday the Manitoba government also gave an update on vaccination efforts.
They said a total of 41,817 doses of vaccine have so far been administered across the province, including 32,461 first doses and 9,356 second doses.
The province said first doses have now been given at every personal care home in Manitoba, with an estimated 8,112 eligible and consenting PCH residents getting their first shot.
Efforts to get the second round of immunizations done at PCHs will start Feb. 8 and all residents will receive both shots, despite vaccine supply disruptions, the province said.
Meanwhile a vaccine “super site” opened Monday at the Thompson Regional Community Centre. Pop-up sites will also start immunizing eligible health care workers in Flin Flon and The Pas starting the week of Feb. 8.
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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