WINNIPEG -- Health officials announced nine new deaths linked to COVID-19 in Manitoba on Thursday.

Dr. Brent Roussin, the province's chief provincial public health officer, made the announcement during a news conference.

This is the second day in a row that the province has recorded nine deaths, which is a record for COVID-19 deaths.

The deaths include:

  • a woman in her 50s from the Winnipeg Health Region;
  • a man in his 60s from the Winnipeg Health Region and he was linked to the outbreak at Parkview Place;
  • three men in their 80s from the Winnipeg Health Region and they are all linked to the outbreak at Maples Long Term Care Home;
  • a man in his 80s from Southern Health-Santé Sud and linked to the outbreak at the Bethesda Regional Health Care medicine unit;
  • a woman in her 70s from the Winnipeg Health Region;
  • a woman in her 80s from the Winnipeg Health Region and linked to the outbreak at Maples Long Term Care Home; and
  • a woman in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at Holy Family Long Term Care. 

The death toll now sits at 132.

Officials also announced 474 new cases of COVID-19. This brings the total to 9,782 since early March.

The five-day test positivity rate is 11 per cent in Manitoba, and it is 11.4 per cent in Winnipeg.

The new cases include:

  • 26 cases in the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority;
  • 20 cases in the Northern health region;
  • 19 cases in Prairie Mountain Health;
  • 94 cases in Southern Health-Santé Sud; and
  • 315 cases in the Winnipeg health region.

Officials said there are now 6,030 active cases and 3,620 people have recovered.

There are 227 people in hospital and 34 of those people are in intensive care.

On Wednesday, 3,717 tests were completed. There have now been 300,169 tests for COVID-19 since early February. 

"These are, of course, sobering numbers," said Roussin. "We're announcing more than 2,500 cases in one week and more than 20 deaths in three days."

The latest numbers come as the entire province was moved to critical or red on the pandemic response system.

Roussin said now is the time for Manitobans to step up.

"We're going to get through this…We can't get through it with distractions. It is going to be short-term and we're going to get through this, but can only get through this together," said Roussin. "We have clear messages, stay home, socialize only within your household. All of these messages, no matter how difficult they are to hear, is there to save Manitobans lives."