Manitoba COVID-19 hospital numbers hold steady, but six new deaths reported

Manitoba’s COVID-19 hospitalization numbers for Wednesday show no change from Tuesday’s stats, provincial health officials said.

There are still 614 Manitobans in hospital and intensive care numbers are holding at 38.

Six new deaths were reported Wednesday, bringing the province’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,642.

On the enforcement side, officials handed out 17 warnings and two $1,296 tickets last week to individuals, as well as fining six people $298 for not wearing a mask indoors in a public place.

A business is also facing a $5,000 fine.

Of the tickets given, the vast majority (seven) were in the Winnipeg health region, while two were in Southern Health – Sante Sud.

As of Wednesday, the province reported, a total of 73,246 first vaccinations have been given to Manitoba children between the ages of 5 and 11 — more than half (58.6 per cent) of that age group in the province.

Chief provincial health officer Dr. Brent Roussin was joined by Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead of Manitoba’s vaccine task force, at a 12:30 p.m. press conference.

Roussin called on Manitobans to treat each other with kindness and respect, as the province continues its transition from public health orders to guidelines by mid-March.

Some businesses and and other settings may continue requiring masks, he said.

“This has been a difficult two years for pretty much all Manitobans. This is going to be a difficult transition phase, and of course we’re not done with COVID.”

Roussin said the province is likely to see more variants and waves going forward, but high vaccination rates mean Manitoba is in a position to relax public health orders

0:38 Loosening of COVID-19 restrictions begins in Manitoba