WINNIPEG -- Manitoba's top doctor says more than 100 COVID-19 cases were reported in Winnipeg, and as cases continue to rise in the third wave, the province said the B.1.1.7. variant is becoming the dominant variant.
While there were no deaths related to COVID-19 in Manitoba on Monday, the province reported 114 cases of COVID-19, bringing the provincial five-day test positivity rate to 6.2 per cent.
"The third wave is here – how hard it hits us is really up to us," Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, said on Monday.
"I think we have a lot of control right now to change this trajectory, but it is very likely that we are going to have to change the public health orders again to ensure that we have all Manitobans on board."
Winnipeg reported the highest number of cases on Monday, with 62 new cases bringing the city's five-day test positivity rate to 5.6 per cent.
The Northern health region saw the second-highest cases on Monday, with 36 new cases identified.
Nine new cases were reported in the Prairie Mountain Health region, four were reported in the Southern Health region, and three were reported in the Interlake-Eastern region.
These cases bring the total number of cases Manitoba has seen in this pandemic to 35,327 – including 1,370 cases currently listed as active and 33,008 people who have recovered. The death toll remains at 949.
The province said 135 people with COVID-19 were in hospital as of Monday, including 57 people with active cases and 78 people who are not infectious. Of the 33 people in intensive care with COVID-19, there were 14 people with active cases and 19 people who are not infectious but still need critical care.
In its COVID-19 release, the province released a variant of concern dashboard which will have information on variant cases and will be updated from Tuesday to Saturday. The province said this will be the main source for information, "As the B.1.1.7 is becoming the dominant variant in Manitoba."
The dashboard shows 412 variant of concern cases – including 362 B.1.1.7. cases, 20 B.1.351 cases, and 28 cases not yet specified.
Of these variant cases, 101 are active and 310 people have recovered. There has been one death linked to a COVID-19 variant in Manitoba.
"We know the variants of concern are much more transmissible and we are starting to see the B.1.1.7. variant become more and more prevalent in Manitoba," Roussin said.
Roussin 'strongly advised' Manitobans to wear masks as much as possible – now recommending they wear them while gathering with people outdoors.
"We’ve seen in other jurisdictions variant of concern transmission even outdoors."
Roussin said for now this is a strong recommendation, but added public health is reviewing the health orders and restrictions as needed.
He said public health has continued to hear of cases that have multiple contacts because they are out and about while symptomatic.
"We want to voice to all Manitobans – even mild symptoms, even if you are not sure – get tested," he said.
He said those who do get tested need to stay home until they receive the test results. Roussin said in most cases test results are back within 24 hours. Anyone feeling sick must stay home.
The province said 2,030 laboratory tests were completed on Sunday, bringing the total number of tests done since early February 2020 to 606,373.
The province declared a COVID-19 outbreak at the Emerson Health Centre, and has moved the site to the red or critical level on the province's pandemic response system.
