The provincial government announced five new positive tests for the novel coronavirus in Manitoba April 23, bringing the total so far to 262 cases.
Of those, 174 people are considered recovered from COVID-19 and 82 cases remain active. The number of deaths from the virus remains at six and seven people with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized, two of them in intensive care on ventilators.
Three people who were previously in intensive care are listed as recovered and the average length of stay for hospitalized patients in intensive care units is 11 days.
The five new cases were all Winnipeg residents. Two of them are in their 20s, two are in their 30s and one is in their 80s.
There were 327 lab tests for the virus completed April 22, bringing the total number of tests conducted so far to 21,387.
The number of positive tests in the Northern Regional Health Authority remains at three.
Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said that if the numbers of new positive tests remain low, some restrictions on businesses could begin to be lifted sometime next month.
“We are going to see loosening of these restrictions but we will do it very cautiously,” he said. “It will not be a return to normal.”
He also said details regarding enforcement of the travel ban to Northern Manitoba are still being looked at but that enforcement is less important that letting people know the rules.
“We know the majority of people follow our advice,” Roussin said.
Manitoba’s chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa said the province received a shipment of 150,000 disposable isolation gowns this week.
“This is a substantial shipment and we are very happy to have it on the ground here in Manitoba,” she said.
Roussin said people shouldn’t read too much into the fact that the number of new positive tests announced today is higher than it has been most days over the past two weeks.
“We want to look at the trends over time and the nature of acquisition as well,” he said.
Demand for tests is currently low, which could lead to expansion of testing criteria next week, possibly to include all Manitobans with respiratory illness symptoms.
“Right now our testing criteria are quite expansive,” he said, including virtually any symptomatic person who is still working. “Our testing capacity is at a good place, it’s just the demand that’s low right now.”
