Another 3 COVID-19 deaths reported in Manitoba, 74 new cases identified

Manitoba health officials reported three more COVID-19-related deaths and 74 new cases of the virus Friday.

Two of the latest victims — a man in his 30s from the Winnipeg Health region and man in his 70s from the Prairie Mountain Health region — had been infected with the Alpha variant, first identified in the United Kingdom, according to the province.

The third victim is a man in his 80s from the Prairie Mountain Health region.

Friday’s list of new cases come from across the province. Thirty-three were found in the Winnipeg area, 22 were reported in the Interlake-Eastern Health region, 13 were found in the Southern Health region, five were from the Northern Health region, and one was found in the Prairie Mountain Health region.

3:51 Higher COVID-19 rates in Manitoba’s BIPOC community

The five day test-positivity rate has fallen to 5.1 per cent provincially and 4.6 per cent in Winnipeg.

Health officials said two previously announced cases have been removed due to data corrections, leaving Manitoba’s total number of reported cases to 56,739, of which 1,030 remain active.

Manitoba’s COVID-19 death toll now sits at 1,160.

Meanwhile officials say there are 141 Manitobans in hospital as a result of COVID-19, including 33 in Manitoba ICUs and four receiving critical care out of province.

A total of 1,465 lab tests for COVID-19 were completed Thursday according to provincial data.

On Thursday the province reported 86 new cases and three additional deaths.