In the deadliest day of the pandemic in Manitoba, health officials announced Thursday four more people have died of COVID-19.
These most recent deaths include a man in his 70s and a man in his 80s, which are both linked to the outbreak at Parkview Place long-term care home in Winnipeg. There have been 14 deaths in total at this care home.
The province also announced the deaths of a man in his 80s from the Winnipeg region and a man in his 80s from the Interlake-Eastern region.
Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, said these deaths are all previously announced cases. As of Thursday, Manitoba’s total number of COVID-19-related deaths is 47.
Roussin also announced another jump in COVID-19 cases, with 147 new cases identified as of Thursday morning.
These cases include:
seven cases in Prairie Mountain Health region;
10 cases in the Interlake-Eastern health region;
10 cases in the Northern health region;
33 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and
87 cases in the Winnipeg health region.
Manitoba’s five-day test positivity rate has jumped to 5.6 per cent – the highest it has ever been in the province.
The majority of Manitoba’s cases are in the Winnipeg region, which now has a test positivity rate of 6.5 per cent.
But, Roussin said Winnipeg is not the only area seeing cases rise – the Northern area of the province is also seeing a spike.
The province has placed the Northern region, along with Churchill, under the same restrictions that are currently in place in Winnipeg.
Hospitalizations have also increased, with 42 people in hospital, including eight people in intensive care as of Thursday.
“As we see these increasing case counts across Manitoba, especially in Winnipeg and the Northern region, we know it is all a result of increased contacts,” Roussin said.
“We really need to focus for this time on reducing our contacts outside the household, getting back to those fundamentals.”
Roussin said people need to stay home when they are sick, adding they have heard of people going out even when they are showing symptoms.
He also encouraged all Manitobans to get their flu shot.
Since the first case was announced in Manitoba in March, the province has seen a total of 3,773 cases.
The province reported 1,806 active cases, and 1,920 recoveries as of Thursday, but the province has previously said these numbers may not be accurate due to a backlog in reporting. Roussin has said the number of active cases in the province may be much lower.
