Health officials say two cases of the B.1.351 COVID-19 variant, first discovered in South Africa, and another case of the B.1.1.7 variant first discovered in the United Kingdom, have been confirmed in Manitoba.
In a release Tuesday the province said all three cases of the variants of concern come from the Winnipeg Health region, but didn’t say when the cases were identified, whether or not the patients have recovered, or provide information on where or how the infections had been acquired.
The province also hasn’t said how many contacts those infected with the latest variants of concern may have had.
“Case investigations continue and if a public health risk is identified, the public will be notified,” reads a release from the province.
The cases of the South Africa variant are the first to be reported in Manitoba, while the province has now recorded six cases of the UK variant.
The news comes the same day Manitoba’s chief public health officer announced current COVID-19 public health orders will be loosened starting Friday.
Health officials also reported the deaths of another two Manitobans with COVID-19 Tuesday as well as 64 new cases.
The latest cases bring the total number of infections reported in Manitoba since last March to 31,950 after eight previously announced cases were removed from the list due to what health officials say are data corrections.
The latest victims include a man in his 70s from the Interlake-Eastern Health region and a man in his 50s connected to an outbreak at Seven Oaks General Hospital Unit 3U 4-7 in Winnipeg.
Their deaths bring the number of Manitobans who have died from COVID-19 to 898.
The new cases come from across the province and include 36 cases in the Winnipeg Health region, seven cases in the Southern Health region, two cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region, 16 cases in the Northern Health region, and three cases in the Interlake-Eastern Health region.
Provincial data shows there are 1,151 active cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba.
There are now 187 people in hospital as a result of novel coronavirus and 25 patients in ICU connected to the virus, according to provincial data.
Health officials say an outbreak of the virus at St. Boniface Hospital Unit A6 has been declared over.
The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is four per cent provincially and 3.2 per cent in Winnipeg.
Laboratory testing numbers show 1,307 tests were completed Monday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February 2020 to 527,932.
The new COVID-19 public health orders announced Tuesday will allow Manitobans to have another entire household visit in their home, and outdoor public gatherings can increase to 10 people from five.
Maximum capacity at stores and restaurants will increase to 50 per cent from 25, and indoor religious services can run at 25 per cent capacity, up from 10 per cent.
Licensed establishments can reopen their video lottery terminals.
Some facilities, such as casinos, bingo halls and concert venues, must stay closed.
–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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