The latest data on health-care workers that have tested positive for COVID-19 in Manitoba

WINNIPEG -- More than 60 of Manitoba’s health-care workers tested positive for COVID-19 in the span of one week.

These numbers are according to the Manitoba government’s latest COVID-19 and seasonal influenza surveillance report, which covers the period from Jan. 10 to 16.

The report shows that since the beginning of the pandemic, 1,797 health-care workers have contracted the disease, which is 66 more cases than reported the week before. The report adds that two of these workers have died, and 1,746 have recovered from the disease.

The majority of the infected health-care workers —57.5 per cent— are Allied Health and support staff, while 28.9 per cent are nurses/licensed practical nurses. The province adds that four per cent of the workers are physicians/physicians in training and 2.2 per cent are first responders. For 7.5 per cent of the workers, their occupation has not been identified.

As for how they contracted COVID-19, nearly 60 per cent of these cases got COVID-19 from close contact to a known case, and 0.7 per cent from travel. For 9.9 per cent of these cases, the province is still investigating the source of the infection, and for 29.5 per cent, the cause is unknown.

The latest surveillance report shows that 291 pregnant Manitobans have tested positive for COVID-19, which is 16 more cases than in the week before.

There have also been 173 outbreaks since the beginning of the pandemic, 91 of which were at long-term care facilities, and three were at schools. Eight of these outbreaks were reported in the week covered by the surveillance report.

From Jan. 10 to 16, Manitoba recorded 1,194 new cases of COVID-19, which is only nine more cases than the week prior. 

The volume of lab tests increased as well, going from 1,808 tests per day to 1,888. 

The test positivity rate remained around the same as the week before at 10.3 per cent.

Of the nearly 1,200 new cases, 42 per cent came from the Northern Health Region, which is more than any other health region.

This is a departure from the previous few months, in which Winnipeg reported the majority of cases on a consistent basis.

From Jan. 10 to 16, Winnipeg Regional Health accounted for 36 per cent of the new cases, and the Prairie Mountain Health Authority for 10 per cent. Both the Southern Health - Santé Sud and the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authorities reported six per cent of the cases. 

Since the start of the pandemic, close contact with other cases has been the source of infection for 52.3 per cent of Manitoba’s COVID-19 cases, with the main type of contact being household exposure. Travel was the cause for 1.3 per cent of the province’s cases and 22.7 per cent of cases are still being investigated. For 23.7 per cent of cases, the source of infection is not known.

The surveillance report also shows that 72.4 per cent of Manitoba’s COVID-19 cases have been symptomatic, with the three most commonly reported symptoms being a cough, headache, and fever.

No lab-confirmed cases of influenza were reported in Manitoba from Jan. 10 to 16.