WINNIPEG -- Cases of COVID-19 have spiked in the Southern Health Region, as Manitoba reported more cases and deaths on Friday.

Of the 81 new cases reported in the province on Friday, 28 were in the Southern Health Region. This is a significant spike from Thursday when only three cases were reported. The majority of the cases in the region were in the Altona area.

"The majority of those cases reported today were household contacts, so were already isolating and became cases," said Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer.

He said the province would be following the situation in the Southern health region. He said the goal is to have public health measures stop the transmission chain where it is.

The other cases on Friday include:

  • five cases in Interlake–Eastern Health Region;
  • 25 cases in the Northern Health Region;
  • three cases in the Prairie Mountain Health Region; and
  • 20 cases in the Winnipeg Health Region.

These bring the total number of cases in Manitoba to 30,588. The five-day test positivity rate in the province dropped slightly to 4.8 per cent, while the test positivity rate in Winnipeg saw a small jump to four per cent.

Along with the cases, the province reported four more deaths related to COVID-19 – all of which occurred in Winnipeg. The deaths include two men in their 70s, a man in his 80s, and a man in his 90s whose death has been linked to the outbreak at Concordia Place Personal Care Home.

This brings the total number of deaths related to COVID-19 in Manitoba to 866.

 

As of Friday, the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 dropped to 240 – which includes 150 people who are no longer infectious but still require care. The province said of the 29 people in intensive care with the virus – 18 are no longer infectious but still need critical care.

With the hospitalizations, the province announced outbreaks at the Seven Oaks General Hospital unit 3U 4-7 and Riverview Health Centre in Winnipeg. Both areas have been moved to the red or critical level of the pandemic response system.

The outbreaks at the Poseidon Long Term Care Home, Convalescent Home of Winnipeg, Golden Door Geriatric Centre and Golden West Centennial Lodge in Winnipeg have all been declared over.

The province said 1,582 people currently have active cases of COVID-19, while 28,140 people have recovered. 

There were 1,972 tests completed on Thursday, bringing the total number of tests done since early February 2020 to 497,691.