WINNIPEG -- The Manitoba government announced 42 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday, marking the highest single day jump in the province since the pandemic began.
More than half of them are in the Prairie Mountain Health Region, where new restrictions will come into effect next week.
Twenty-four cases were announced in the health region Saturday.
Starting Monday masks will be mandatory in public places and group sizes can be no larger than ten in Brandon and the surrounding areas.
The government elevated the area to code orange, after a spike in cases in southwestern Manitoba. It’s part of the province’s new colour-coded system to try to contain the spread of COVID-19.
In a news bulletin on Saturday, public health officials also announced 16 new infections in the Southern Health Region and two in Winnipeg.
There are 290 active cases in the province, with six people in hospital and one person in intensive care.
Twelve people have died from the coronavirus in Manitoba, while 570 people have recovered.
Saturday’s update brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in the province to 872.
The five day test positivity rate is 1.8 per cent.
The province did 1,849 laboratory tests on Friday. Since early February, 124,140 tests were completed.
A new COVID-19 testing site will be up and running next Tuesday in Winnipeg at 2735 Pembina Hwy. It will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week and accepting people on a walk-in basis.
The Fort Garry site will no longer offer COVID-19 tests once the new location on Pembina Hwy. opens.
