Health officials in Manitoba say another COVID-19 patient has died and 303 more infections have been identified across the province as ICU admissions connected to the virus continue to hit record numbers.
The latest victim is a man in his 70s from the Interlake-Eastern Health region linked to the B.1.1.7 strain first identified in the United Kingdom.
Manitoba’s COVID-19 death toll rises to 1,053 and since March 2020, the province has now reported 51,090 cases of the virus.
But the province said the numbers released Monday are likely an undercount, due to what officials say are technical issues, and, as a result, an over count in numbers is expected Tuesday.
Shared Health said Monday Manitoba saw an unprecedented 30 COVID-19 patients admitted to ICUs over a 48-hour period between Friday and Sunday.
Manitoba’s chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin pleaded with Manitobans to follow public health orders and get vaccinated as soon as possible.
“Right now we’re seeing too many Manitobans requiring hospital care, and especially ICU care,” he said at a Monday press conference.
“We’ve seen too many deaths related to this virus.”
In total, 308 people were listed in hospital with COVID-19 Monday. There are 71 COVID-19 patients in Manitoba ICUS, including a record-setting 17 COVID-19 patients under the age of 40.
Officials said in all there were 122 patients in Manitoba ICUs as of Monday morning, including those without COVID-19. Manitoba’s pre-COVID-19 ICU capacity was 72 beds, officials have said.
But the province’s ICU numbers don’t include dozens of critically ill COVID-19 patients from Manitoba who have been sent out of the province for care.
Since May 18, 40 patients have been sent to hospitals in Ontario and Saskatchewan to cope with the ongoing surge, according to data released Monday on a provincial website tracking out of province ICU numbers.
Four people have since returned to Manitoba from Ontario, but are still receiving care in hospitals. In all the province says 39 ICU patients have been sent to Ontario, and one has gone to Saskatchewan.
Health officials reported 649 new cases and 10 additional deaths Saturday and Sunday, including two men in their 20s from Winnipeg.
On Monday, Shared Health said 246 patients have been admitted to Manitoba ICUs in May, blowing past the 50 admitted in April.
That includes 17 in only a 24-hour period over the weekend — a quarter of the overall capacity and not including those admitted for non-COVID-19 issues.
There are currently 4,504 active COVID-19 cases in Manitoba and 45,533 individuals have recovered from the virus, the province said Monday.
The rolling five-day test positivity is 12.1 per cent provincially and 13.7 per cent in Winnipeg as of Monday morning.
Monday’s newly reported infections include 226 cases in the Winnipeg Health region, 37 cases in the Southern Health region, 15 cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region, 13 cases in the Northern Health region, and 12 cases in the Interlake-Eastern Health region.
Health officials say a previously declared outbreak at Holy Cross School in Winnipeg has ended.
The province says 2,599 laboratory tests for COVID-19 were completed Sunday.
A list of potential exposures can be found on the government’s website.
— with files from Will Reimer