Northern Manitoba reported less than 20 new COVID-19 cases for the second straight day April 27, with 12, while there were 156 in Winnipeg, 30 in the Prairie Mountain health region and 15 in the southern health region. The Interlake-Eastern health region reported five cases.
The provincial total was 218 cases, though one previously announced case was removed from Manitoba’s total due to a data correction.
The five-day test positivity rate in the province is 7.5 per cent and no new deaths were reported Tuesday so the total number of COVID-related deaths remains at 968.
The Grand Rapids/Misipawistik/Moose Lake/Mosakahiken/Easterville/Chemawawin health district had the highest number of new cases in the north with four and four other health districts reported three or fewer new cases.
The number of infections confirmed as having been caused by variants in Northern Manitoba has risen to 46 – 42 of the B.1.1.7 variant and four uncategorized. At least eight of the region’s variant cases are among people linked to Riverside School in Thompson, which had 10 staff or students who with COVID during the two weeks leading up to April 26, eight of them with variant-linked infections. Someone associated with a school having COVID-19 does not necessarily mean the virus was contracted or transmitted at school.
Ther were seven other COVID cases among people linked to Thompson schools in the two weeks leading up to Monday – six at R.D. Parker Collegiate, which switched to remote learning only for two weeks effective April 26, and one at Burntwood School. There have also been two COVID cases among staff or students of Frontier Mosakahiken School.
26,171 Northern Manitobans have had first doses of COVID-19 vaccines and 5,572 have had second doses. Of these, 16,855 first dose recipients are First Nations people, as are 3,520 of those who have received second doses.
The province says the number of tickets handed out for public health order infractions rose 167 per cent April 19-25 compared to the previous week. 33 of 39 $1,296 fines were issued in relation to indoor or outdoor gatherings at private residences, which will be banned for four week starting April 28. 17 $298 tickets for failing to wear a mask in indoor public places were also handed out.
Hospitalization data was not available Tuesday because of issues with provincial data systems.
