Manitoba reports 3 more COVID-19 deaths, further drop in hospitalizations

Health officials say three more Manitobans with COVID-19 have died as the number of hospitalizations linked to the virus continued to drop Friday.

The latest deaths, reported on the province’s online COVID-19 dashboard, bring Manitoba’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,726.

The number of people hospitalized as a result of COVID-19 fell to 382 as of Friday morning, 13 fewer than had been reported 24 hours earlier.

As of Friday, 13 people are in ICU with the virus, down four from Thursday.

2:21 Concerns after restrictions lifted for unvaxxed health-care workers

Numbers released by the province Thursday show COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped 15.6 per cent from the previous week and ICU admissions linked to the virus were down 68.2 per cent over the previous week.

Manitoba lifted all remaining COVID-19 public health orders Tuesday, including a mask mandate that had required face coverings to be worn in public spaces.

Isolation requirements for people who test positive for COVID-19 also ended, although health officials are still recommending people isolate for five days after symptoms start.

On Wednesday Manitoba’s chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, held what he said would be his last regularly scheduled COVID-19 update.

1:04 Manitoba ‘in transition’ with COVID situation, Roussin says at last regularly-scheduled briefing

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.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, visit our coronavirus page.