Manitoba reported no new positive tests for the novel coronavirus April 14.
The total number of cases remains at 246, 142 of which are considered active. Ninety-nine people who tested positive for COVID-19 are listed as recovered, meaning 14 days have passed since the onset of their symptoms and they are not showing any symptoms. Four Manitobans have died as a result of COVID-19 infections since the first positive test was reported March 12.
There have been 187 positive tests in the Winnipeg region, 27 in the southern health region, 18 in the Interlake-Eastern region, 11 in the Prairie Mountain region and three in the Northern Regional Health Authority area.
“We need to continue our efforts and our social distancing strategies to limit the spread of this virus,” said chief provincial public health officer dr. Brent Roussin. “Our actions can have an effect and are having an effect.”
Manitoba chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa said health care workers are appreciative of the provincial government’s announcement earlier Tuesday that health-care workers who are required to self-isolate for 14 days will receive paid administrative leave for the period of isolation. Workers who become symptomatic during their self-isolation will be compensated by sick leave benefits as outlined in their collective agreement, Premier Brian Pallister said in a press release.
Roussin said the percentage of positive tests has remained stable even as the number of tests conducted daily has recently dropped.
About 55 per cent of positive tests have been among people exposed to the virus while travelling and about 25 per cent are among people who have been inclose contact with known cases, mostly within the same household, Roussin said. About 10 per cent of cases are believed to be the result of community transmission, while the remainder are still being investigated.
Asked what would be the triggers to start the relaxation of public health orders, Roussin said the number of days it takes the total amount of cases to double and the downward trend in active cases would be two of the key indicators.
There were 26,163 coronavirus cases in Canada as of April 14 and 823 people had died from COVID-19 infections.
Prince Edward Island is the province with the fewest cases at 25, followed by New Brunswick with 116 and Newfoundland and Labrador with 244. Manitoba has the fourth-lowest number of total cases among the provinces.
Yukon has eight COVID-19 cases, Northwest Territories has five and there have been no cases reported in Nunavut.
At the end of Thompson city council’s April 13 meeting, Mayor Colleen Smook said people in Northern Manitoba should remain vigilant with regard to social distancing, hand washing and staying home as much as possible.
“We’re very lucky we’ve only had a few cases in the north but you never know, there could be people walking around out there with it so we have to act like we could get it,” she said. “Please don’t let the fact that we don’t have many cases put you into a sense of non urgency, it’s very urgent.”
