WINNIPEG -- Manitoba announced nine new deaths related to COVID-19 on Wednesday, which is now the deadliest day since the start of the pandemic.

The news was announced in the province's daily COVID-19 bulletin.

The deaths include:

• a male in his 60s from the Winnipeg Health Region;

• a female in her 60s from the Northern Health Region;

• a male in his 70s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud Region;

• a male in his 70s from the Winnipeg Health Region and linked to the St. Boniface Hospital outbreak;

• a male in his 70s from the Winnipeg Health Region and linked to the Parkview Place outbreak;

• a male in his 70s from the Winnipeg Health Region and linked to the Misericordia Place Personal Care Home;

• a female in her 70s from the Interlake-Eastern Health Region;

• a female in her 80s from the Winnipeg Health Region and linked to the Victoria hospital outbreak; and

• a male in his 80s from the Winnipeg Health Region and linked to the Seine River Retirement Residence, Assisted Living Facility cluster.

The death toll has now climbed to 123.

The province also announced an additional 431 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 9,308 since early March.

The five-day test positivity rate is at 10.7 per cent in Manitoba and it sits at 10.8 per cent in Winnipeg.

The new cases announced in Manitoba include:

• 32 cases in the Interlake-Eastern Health Region;

• 33 cases in the Northern Health Region;

• 13 cases in the Prairie Mountain Health Region;

• 101 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud Health Region; and

• 252 cases in the Winnipeg Health Region.

The province said there are 5,676 active cases and 3,509 people have recovered.

Hospital numbers continue to rise as there are 218 people in hospital throughout Manitoba, 32 of those in hospital are in intensive care.

The province also set a record for most tests performed in a single-day. On Tuesday, 5,334 were completed. The test total now sits at 296,352 since early February.