There have been 25 northern COVID-19 infections confirmed to have been caused by variants of concern as of April 22, including five among people connected to schools in Thompson.
In the two weeks leading up to April 20, there had been 13 confirmed COVID-19 infections among students and staff at Thompson schools, including five at R.D. Parker Collegiate, four at Riverside School, two at Deerwood School, and one each at Westwood School and Wapanohk Community School. The case at Wapanohk and all four at Riverside involve variants of concern.
So far, 23 infections caused by the B.1.1.7 or United Kingdom variant have been identified in Northern Manitoba as well as two that have not been categorized.
Manitoba reported 261 new COVID cases April 22, including 159 in Winnipeg, 36 in the north, 31 in the southern health region, 25 in the Interlake-Eastern health region and 10 in the Prairie Mountain health region. Three previously announced cases were removed due to data corrections for a net daily increase of 258. This is the second day this week that more than 200 new cases have been announced in the province and the five-day test positivity rate has climbed to 6.4 per cent.
The 962nd death in the province linked to the virus was announced April 22.
Manitoba reported more active COVID cases in the hospital on Thursday: a total of 76 plus 69 who are no longer considered infectious. Twenty-one people with active infections are in intensive care, along with 14 who are no longer considered infectious. The number of northerners in hospital has dropped to 20, nine of whom have active cases. Three of the active cases are in intensive care, as a six other patients who are no longer considered infectious.
Several northern health districts saw their case numbers increase since Wednesday, but most had three or fewer new cases with the exception of the Grand Rapids/Misipawistik/Moose Lake/Mosakahiken/Easterville/Chemawawin and Island Lake health districts.
