WINNIPEG -- Fourteen more of Manitoba’s healthcare workers have tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the province’s most recent surveillance data from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, a total of 83 healthcare workers have contracted the disease since the pandemic began, which is up 14 from the week before. Of these 83 employees, 71 have recovered and returned to work.
The surveillance data, which monitors the intensity, characteristics, transmission and geographic spread of COVID-19, shows that 28 of these workers are healthcare aids, 21 are nurses, nine are physicians or physicians in training, five are social/support workers, four are medical clerks, and 16 fall into a combined category.
The majority of these workers -- 65 per cent -- contracted COVID-19 through close contact with a known case, while 13 per cent got it from travel. The source of the disease is unknown for about 22 per cent of these cases.
The Manitoba government is also reporting a total of 18 pregnant Manitobans have contracted the disease since the pandemic began, an increase of two cases from the previous week.
The latest surveillance data shows there have been three more outbreaks of COVID-19, bringing the total to 17. Eight of these outbreaks have been at long-term care facilities.
During the week of Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, Manitoba saw decreases in terms of the number of lab-confirmed cases and test positivity rates. In this week, there were a total of 128 lab-confirmed cases, down from 224 in the previous week, and the test positivity rate dropped from 2 per cent to 1.2 per cent.
Out of the 128 COVID-19 cases reported during this week, about half were in Winnipeg Regional Health, 27 per cent were in the Prairie Mountain Health Region, and 16 per cent were from Southern Health - Santé Sud Regional Health Authority. There were also seven cases in Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority.
The province is reporting that about 70 per cent of the 128 cases were from close contact to known cases, and two per cent were travel-related.
