Forty new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Manitoba’s latest 24-hour stretch, which marks the province’s biggest increase in cases throughout the pandemic.
Health officials also reported 40 new cases on April 2, but according to online data by Manitoba Health, there were in fact 33 cases identified in that 24-hour period.
There are now 246 currently active patients in the province, which is a new record-high. Earlier this week, Manitoba surpassed the 200-active case mark for the first time.
Of the 40 latest cases, 25 of them were identified in Prairie Mountain Health region, 10 in the Winnipeg health region, and five in Southern Health.
Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said there are some travel-related cases in Winnipeg, but that the majority of cases in that region and the Prairie Mountain Health region appear linked to close contacts. There is also evidence of community spread in Winnipeg, as well as in Brandon in Prairie Mountain Health, which means that officials are unable to identify a clear source of infection.
The Brandon area currently has 90 active cases of COVID-19. Thirty-nine cases are linked to a business in Manitoba’s second largest city. Previous reporting has identified that business as the Maple Leaf Foods pork processing facility.
Throughout the pandemic, Manitoba has had 643 cases of COVID-19. That includes 389 individuals who have recovered and eight deaths.
On July 14, the province came very close to having no active cases. That day, after all of its initial patients had recovered, health officials diagnosed five other people. Since then, Manitoba has seen its curb trend upwards.
