WINNIPEG -- Manitoba health officials are reporting 292 new cases and seven deaths related to COVID-19 on Sunday.

Announced in the province's daily COVID-19 bulletin, five of the deaths are linked to the B.1.1.7 variant of concern.

Three people from the Winnipeg Health Region, a man in his 40s, a man in his 60s and a man in his 70s died from the virus. All of the deaths are linked to the B.1.1.7 variant of concern.

Two men in their 70s died from the virus in the Southern Health- Santé Sud Health Region.

In the Interlake-Eastern Health Region, a man in his 60s linked to the B.1.1.7 variant of concern died.

The seventh death announced on Sunday is a man in his 70s from the Northern health region.

The provincial COVID-19 death toll now sits at 1,052.

Along with the seven deaths, 292 cases of the disease were reported Sunday.

Of the new cases, 183 are in the Winnipeg Health Region, which now has a five-day test positivity rate of 13.6 per cent.

Out of the remaining cases, 12 are in the Interlake-Eastern Health Region, 19 are in the Northern Health Region, 32 are in the Prairie Mountain Health Region and 46 are in the Southern Health–Santé Sud Health Region.

 

The total number of cases in Manitoba since early March is 50,790. The province said one case was removed due to a data error.

The province currently has 4,569 active cases, and 45,169 people have recovered from the disease.

The current provincial five-day test positivity rate now sits at 12.3 per cent.

There are 233 people with active cases of COVID-19 in hospital, including 53 people in intensive care units. In addition, 75 people have been hospitalized who are no longer infectious with COVID-19 but still require care, while 21 patients are no longer infectious but still need critical care.

On Saturday, 2,945 tests were performed, bringing the total number of lab tests completed to 767,411 since early February.