One death linked to Alpha variant, Manitoba's test positivity rate falls to lowest level since April
The province has reported another death linked to the Alpha variant, as Manitoba's test positivity rate dipped below six per cent for the first time since April.
The death reported on Friday was a man in his 70s from the Southern Health Region, linked to the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7).
This brings the total number of deaths of people with COVID-19 in Manitoba to 1,135.
Along with this, the province reported 85 new cases and a five-day test positivity rate of 5.9 per cent.
This is the lowest test positivity rate since April 19, when the province reported a rate of 5.7 per cent.
The majority of cases were in Winnipeg, which reported 53 new cases on Friday and a five-day test positivity rate of 6.5 per cent. The region has 803 active cases.
The other cases reported on Friday include:
- 10 cases in the Interlake-Eastern health region, which has 231 active cases;
- eight cases in the Northern health region; which has 285 active cases;
- five cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region; which has 112 active cases; and
- nine cases in the Southern Health region, which has 204 active cases.
The new cases bring Manitoba's total to 55,777, including 1,635 active cases and 53,007 recoveries. One case was removed from the total due to a data correction.
Hospitalizations dropped on Friday, with a total of 185 COVID-19 patients in hospital. This is compared to 200 COVID-19 hospitalizations on Thursday.
However, the total number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care in Manitoba increased by two on Friday, with 54 patients in ICU. Of these people, 28 have active cases and 26 are no longer infectious but still require critical care.
The number of Manitoba ICU patients receiving care in other provinces remained at 12 on Friday, with 11 in Ontario and one in Alberta. No other COVID-19 patients were taken out of the province for care on Thursday.
The province said so far, 35 patients who were receiving out-of-province care have been returned to Manitoba hospitals.
The province said 1,625 laboratory tests were completed on Thursday, bringing the total since early February 2020 to 823,640.
This is a developing story. More to come.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.