In a reversal of where things were a few weeks ago, Northern Manitoba had the lowest number of new cases of COVID-19 May 4 and was the only health region in the province with a new case number in the single digits.
There were seven new cases in the north reported Tuesday, compared to 212 in Winnipeg, 31 in the Prairie Mountain health region, 29 in the southern health region and 12 in the Interlake-Eastern health region. The total for the province May 4 was 291 cases with one previous case removed due to a data correction for a net daily increase of 290.
The health district with the largest number of new cases in the north on Tuesday was Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry/Sherridon, with three.
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have risen in Manitoba in recent weeks, to 182 patients, including 120 with active infections. Thirty-six of those with active cases are in intensive care, as are 11 people who are no longer considered infectious.
Northern hospitalization totals are lower than they were in recent weeks, with 17 people in hospital, including 10 with active infections. Three of those with active infections are in intensive care, as are two who are no longer considered infectious.
Forty-eight northern residents have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, including two – a woman in her 30s and a woman in her 60s – whose deaths were announced in the first two days of May.
First doses of vaccine have been administered to 28,231 Northern Manitoba residents, all of whom 18 or over are now eligible for immunization, while 6,719 have received second doses. This includes 18,678 northern First Nations people who have received first doses and 4,144 who have received second doses.
There have been 67 cases in the north identified as being caused by variants of concern, including 58 by the B.1.1.7 or United Kingdom variant and nine that are uncategorized.
There were nine cases among people linked to Thompson schools in the last two weeks up to May 3, including six at R.D. Parker Collegiate and one each at Riverside School, Wapanohk Community School and Burntwood School. The province no longer identifies school cases by whether they are linked to variants of concern as variants are now the dominant strains of the virus begin transmitted in Manitoba.
