Another six Manitobans with COVID-19 have died and health officials say 809 more people have been infected with the virus over the last three days.
The latest cases include 333 new infections reported Sunday, the biggest one-day jump in cases Manitoba has reported since early June.
Another 276 new cases were identified Saturday and 200 more were reported Monday.
They come as the province’s five-day test positivity rate climbed to 8.0 per cent Monday, up from 6.5 per cent reported Friday. Winnipeg’s five-day test positivity rate is 8.1 per cent.
Manitoba has now reported 1,366 deaths linked with COVID-19. The latest victims include:
- a man in his 70s from the Interlake-Eastern health region (reported Saturday);
- a woman in her 60s from the Southern Health region (reported Saturday);
- a man in his 60s from the Interlake-Eastern health region (reported Saturday);
- a man in his 80s from the Southern Health region (reported Sunday);
- a man in his 70s from the Southern Health region linked to an outbreak at Manitoba Developmental Centre (reported Sunday);
- a man in his 50s from the Prairie Mountain Health region (reported Monday).
The majority of Monday’s new cases — 129 infections — were found in the Winnipeg Health region.
Another 23 cases were reported in the Southern Health region, 16 were found in the Prairie Mountain Health region, 28 were reported in the Northern Health region and four were found in the Interlake-Eastern Health region.
Of the 809 cases reported since Friday, 513 were from the Winnipeg region, 136 came from the Southern health district, 57 were reported in the Prairie Mountain region, 67 were found in the north, and 36 were reported in the Interlake-Eastern health region.
Health data shows 24 of Monday’s infections are among people who had yet to be vaccinated, while 21 were partially vaccinated and 125 were fully vaccinated.
There are now 2,183 active COVID-19 cases across the province and officials said 2,285 tests for the virus were completed Sunday.
On Friday officials announced new restrictions on gatherings and capacity limits for both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents to help curb the spread of the Omicron variant.
On Monday officials said nine new cases of the Omicron variant have been identified, bringing the total number of Omicron cases confirmed in Manitoba to 17.
Under the new orders starting Tuesday, indoor gatherings with vaccinated people will be limited to household members plus 10 others. The previous order had no restriction on the number of people who could gather at a private residence if everyone was vaccinated or under the age of 12.
Gatherings involving unvaccinated people in a private home will be limited to one household plus five guests, who can be from multiple households. Previously, private gatherings with an unvaccinated person could only include one other household.
Gyms and movie theatres will also be limited to half capacity, as will large sporting venues.
Churches that require proof of vaccination will be limited to half capacity, while those that do not require vaccination status will be limited to 25 people or 25 per cent capacity, whichever is less.
For public indoor gatherings where proof of vaccination is not required, the limit is also 25 per cent capacity or 25 people, whichever is lower.
The province’s chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, said he hopes to prevent long-term harms Omicron could pose to an already overburdened health-care system, which saw the province ask for military help last week.
Over the weekend the federal government said the Red Cross would send eight ICU nurses to help out in Manitoba. They were expected to begin arriving in Manitoba Monday.
As of Monday morning officials said 137 Manitobans are hospitalized due to COVID-19 and 27 patients are in ICUs as a result of the virus.
Of the patients in hospital with COVID-19, 57 per cent are unvaccinated, while 81 per cent of those in the ICU haven’t had COVID shots, the province said.
Meanwhile, the province says a previously declared outbreak at the C5 transitional care unit at the Misericordia Health Centre has ended.
According to a provincial site tracking vaccinations, 84.4 per cent of eligible Manitobans aged five and up have received one dose of vaccine and 78.2 per cent have received two shots. Of those eligible for a third dose, 14.5 per cent have gotten the booster.
Since March 2020, Manitoba has now reported 71,590 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those, 68,041 have since recovered, according to health data.
Manitoba reported 239 new cases and one death Friday.
–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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