WINNIPEG -- The number of COVID-19 cases in Manitoba has broken 500 once again, as health officials announce more deaths linked to variants and 60 COVID-19 patients in intensive care.

On Monday, the province announced four more people had died with COVID-19. The death of a man in his 40s and a man in his 80s from the Southern Health region, along with the death of a man in his 60s from Winnipeg, have all been linked to the B.1.1.7. variant of concern.

The province also reported the death of a man in his 50s from the Northern health region.

These recent deaths bring the total number of people who have died with COVID-19 in Manitoba to 997.

There were 502 COVID-19 cases reported on Monday, with the provincial five-day test positivity rate sitting at 11. 6 per cent.

Winnipeg reported 399 new cases on Monday, and a five-day test positivity of 13.8 per cent. Winnipeg currently has the highest number of active cases in the province, with 2,705 active cases as of Monday.

The other cases reported on Monday include:

  • 48 cases in the Southern Health region, which has 221 total active cases;
  • 25 cases in the Interlake-Eastern health region, which has 176 total active cases;
  • 20 cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region, which has 390 total active cases; and
  • 10 cases in the Northern health region, which has 279 total active cases.

The province said there were 215 people in hospital with COVID-19 as of Monday morning – including 153 people with active cases and 62 people who are no longer infectious but still need the care.

There were 60 COVID-19 patients in intensive care, 48 of whom have active cases and 12 of whom are no longer infectious but still need critical care.

Monday's cases bring the province’s total number so far in the pandemic to 42,453, which includes 3,771 active cases and 37,683 recoveries. Four cases were removed from the province's total due to a data correction.

Data on variants of concern in Manitoba are updated Tuesday through to Saturday.

The province said 3,787 laboratory tests were done on Sunday, bringing the total number of tests completed since early February 2020 to 698,667.