WINNIPEG -- The province announced three more deaths related to COVID-19 Sunday and a rising caseload in northern Manitoba.

Of the 222 new infections, more than half – 116 – are in the Northern health region.

There are also 61 cases in Winnipeg, 22 in Prairie Mountain Health, 20 in Interlake-Eastern and three in Southern health.

On Saturday, the bulk of new infections were also in the north, where code red restrictions remain in effect.

Public health orders were relaxed this weekend in southern Manitoba, allowing retailers to sell non-essential items, hair salons and barber shops to reopen and Manitobans to have two designated visitors to their households.

The five-day test positivity rate is 10.6 per cent in the province and 6.4 per cent in Winnipeg.

There are 278 people are in hospital with 42 in the ICU. The number of hospitalizations increased slightly from the previous day.

According to the bulletin, 1,956 tests were done Saturday, bringing the total number since February 2020 to 465,040.

The three deaths reported Sunday were seniors whose cases were connected to outbreaks.

  • a man in his 80s from the Prairie Mountain Health region, linked to an outbreak at the McCreary/Alonsa Health Centre;
  • a woman in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to an outbreak at the Holy Family Personal Care Home; and
  • a woman in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to an outbreak at Concordia Place personal care home.

The total number of deaths linked to COVID-19 in Manitoba now stands at 799.