Manitoba reported 64 new cases of COVID-19 March 2, but also removed eight previously announced cases, for a net increase of 56.
Two additional deaths due to the virus were announced, bringing the total since the pandemic began nearly a year ago to 898.
The province also said that three new cases involving variants of concern had been detected – one involving the United Kingdom variant and the other involving the first two known cases of the South African variant discovered in Manitoba. There have been six U.K. variant cases detected so far.
In the north, there were 16 new cases, including 11 in the Thompson/Mystery Lake health district and four in the Pukatawagan health district.
187 Manitobans are in hospital due to COVID-19, 69 of them with active infections and 25 of them in intensive care, including 11 who are still considered infectious. There are 20 northerners in hospital, including 13 with active infections. Six of the northerners with active infections are in intensive care, as are two who are no longer considered infectious.
The five-day provincial test positivity rate on March 2 was four per cent.
