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Manitoba adds 2 new deaths, 560 COVID-19 cases in third 500-plus day in May

MISSISSAUGA (CANADA), Feb. 22, 2021 A medical worker shows a COVID-19 At-Home Specimen Collection kit at Toronto International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on Feb. 22, 2021. Starting from Monday, travelers arriving in Canada by air are required to take a COVID-19 molecular test before they exit the airport. They are also required to quarantine for three days at a government-designated hotel at their own expense until they get a result. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) (Credit Image: © Zou Zheng/Xinhua via ZUMA Press). Zou Zheng/Xinhua via ZUMA Press

Manitoba added 560 COVID-19 cases to its tally Thursday, which is the third time cases have gone over the 500-mark in May.

It’s also the second-highest daily case count ever for Manitoba, with the highest being 593 on Nov. 22, 2020, according to provincial statistics.

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Three more deaths were reported Thursday, but one death on Wednesday was removed from the list due to a data error, so the total is now 1,002.

The new case count comes one day after Manitoba hit 1,000 announced deaths on Wednesday.

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“It’s a tragic day yesterday and also our birthday,” said Premier Brian Pallister.

Click to play video: '1,000 COVID-19 deaths in Manitoba'
1,000 COVID-19 deaths in Manitoba

“The joy and sorrow we all feel … only able to be addressed by thinking about the reality that we rose together as people to try to make sure we prevented even more deaths.”

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Manitoba Day is May 12.

As of Thursday, the five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 12 per cent provincially and 14.2 per cent in Winnipeg.

Meanwhile, Manitoba added 388 new variant of concern cases to a list of the more-contagious strains recorded on an online provincial portal Thursday. The latest cases bring the province’s total number of variant cases reported since February to 5,210.

Click to play video: 'Manitoba to begin saving AstraZeneca vaccine for second-dose appointments'
Manitoba to begin saving AstraZeneca vaccine for second-dose appointments

In all, Manitoba has reported 2,634 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, 28 cases of the P.1 variant, and 2,447 that are as of yet unspecified.

Manitoba has also recorded four cases of the B.1.617, variant first detected in India, health officials have previously said.

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Thursday, 431 infections were reported in the Winnipeg Health region, 38 cases reported in the Interlake-Eastern Health region, 30 cases found in the Southern Health region, 34 new infections reported in the Prairie Mountain Health region, and 27 cases reported in the Northern Health region.

Provincial health data shows 4,046 cases remain active, and, in all, 38,652 Manitobans have recovered from COVID-19.

There are now 240 people in hospital as a result of novel coronavirus and 62 patients in ICU connected to the virus, according to provincial data.

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