News Releases

Media Bulletin - Manitoba

October 23, 2020

COVID-19 Bulletin #230



Public health officials advise the 48th death due to COVID-19 has been reported, a male in his 80s from Winnipeg health region. The case is linked to the outbreak at Parkview Place and was previously announced. 
 
The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 6.5 per cent and 163 new cases of the virus have been identified as of 9:30 a.m. However, a case was removed due to a data correction. This brings the total net new cases today to 162 and number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 3,935. 
 
Today’s data shows:
one case in Prairie Mountain Health region;
eight cases in the Interlake–Eastern health region;
seven cases in the Northern health region;
19 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and
128 cases in the Winnipeg health region.
 
The data also shows:
1,855 active cases and 2,032 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19;
there are 51 people in hospital and eight people in intensive care; and
the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 48.
 
Laboratory testing numbers show 2,642 tests were completed yesterday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February to 236,023. Case investigations continue and if a public health risk is identified, the public will be notified.
 
Laboratory system data, including daily testing numbers, total testing numbers and the test positivity rate, will be unavailable on Saturday, Oct. 24 due to scheduled systems upgrades. Data is expected to be available Sunday, Oct. 25.
 
With the growing number of cases in the Northern health region and Churchill, the province is introducing targeted measures under the Restricted (orange) level of the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System to reduce community spread of the virus by reducing close-prolonged contact  between people. These measures will come into effect on Monday, Oct. 26, for a minimum of two weeks. For more information, visit:
www.manitoba.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs/northern/index.html#north_restrictions.
 
Additional measures will be put in place for school in the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region and the Northern health regions under the Restricted Level (orange), effective Monday, Oct. 26. For more information, visit www.manitoba.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs/winnipeg/index.html#wmr_schools.
 
Public health officials have advised that outbreaks have been declared at Holy Family Personal Care Home, Concordia Personal Care Home, Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre Personal Care Home and Maples Long-Term Care Home, all in Winnipeg. All four facilities have been elevated to red on the province’s #RestartMB Pandemic Response System. 
 
All other possible exposure locations are listed online by region at the province’s #RestartMB Pandemic Response System webpage. For up-to-date information on possible public exposures to COVID-19 in regions, visit www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/updates/flights.html#event and click on your region.
 
The chief provincial public health officer strongly encourages Manitobans to reduce the number of close contacts outside their household and avoid closed-in or crowded spaces. In addition, they should focus on these fundamentals to help stop the spread of COVID-19:
Stay home if you are sick.
Wash/sanitize your hands and cover your cough.
Physically distance when you are with people outside your household.
If you cannot physically distance, wear a mask to help reduce the risk to others or as required by public health orders.
 
Unless recommended by public health officials, only individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should go for testing. Individuals with symptoms are asked to seek testing as soon as possible once symptoms are present. Employers are asked to only send employees for testing if they have symptoms or if testing has been recommended by public health officials.
 
The online assessment tool can be found at https://sharedhealthmb.ca/covid19/screening-tool/and COVID-19 symptoms can be found at www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/updates/about.html#collapse4.
 
For up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID19
 
For up-to-date information on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System, visit:
https://manitoba.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs/index.html.
 
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