WINNIPEG -- Eight more people have died due to COVID-19 in Manitoba – all of them are connected to outbreaks at personal care homes and assisted living facilities.

For nearly one month straight, Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, has announced deaths caused by COVID-19 every single day. Thursday saw that grim trend continue, as Roussin provided details on the most recent Manitobans to die of COVID-19.

These Manitobans include:

  • A man in his 60s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at the Keekinan Centre;
  • A man in his 70s, a woman in her 80s, and a woman in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region and linked to the outbreak at Maples Long Term Care Home;
  • A man in his 70 and a man in his 80s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region and linked to the outbreak at Rest Haven Nursing Home; and
  • A man and woman in their 90s from the Prairie Mountain Health region and linked to the outbreak at the Gilbert Plains personal care home.

The death of these Manitobans now brings the virus's death toll in Manitoba to 198.

"These are not just numbers I am announcing everyday," Roussin said. "These are people. These are Manitobans. These are brothers, sisters, parents, aunts. Everyday, we are listing more and more."

Roussin said Manitobans cannot allow more peoples' loved ones to get sick and die of COVID-19.

"It is very clear that we can do this – stay home, leave only for essential reasons, minimize your contacts," Roussin said.

"We can all take this action right now today to reduce our COVID numbers."

The province also reported 475 new cases of COVID-19, the majority of which are in the Winnipeg health region. The region reported 271 new cases, bringing the five-day test positivity rate in Winnipeg to 13.7 per cent.

The city now has more than 5,500 active cases of COVID-19, with 142 deaths caused by the virus as of Thursday.

"Right now we are seeing between 400 and 500 cases a day, we're reporting eight to 12 deaths per day – we can not allow these numbers of cases and deaths to become our norm," said Roussin. "We have to be able to bend this curve down."

The other cases announced on Thursday include:

  • 12 cases in the Interlake-Eastern health region;
  • 55 cases in the Northern health region;
  • 13 cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region; and
  • 124 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region.

These new cases bring the five-day test positivity rate in Manitoba to 14 per cent, with a total of 12,482 cases reported in Manitoba since March.

On Thursday, the province also reported 223 more Manitobans had recovered from COVID-19, though hospitalizations jumped. Currently, there are 263 people in hospital, 43 of which are in intensive care.