November 3, 2020
COVID-19 Bulletin #242
Public health officials advise five additional deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported today including:
• a female in her 60s from the Winnipeg health region;
• a female in her 80s from the Winnipeg health region;
• a male in his 80s from the Winnipeg health region, related to an outbreak at the Maples personal care home;
• a male in his 80s from the Winnipeg health region; and
• a male in his 90s from the Winnipeg health region.
The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 8.6 per cent and 103 new cases of the virus have been identified as of 9:30 a.m. However, a case was removed as it was from out of province. This brings the total net new cases today to 102 and number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 6,377.
The test positivity rate in Winnipeg is 9.3 per cent. Officials advise this number does not reflect the situation in other parts of the province, as cases continue to be identified outside Winnipeg.
Today’s data shows:
• 13 cases in the Interlake–Eastern health region;
• 12 cases in the Northern health region;
• two cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region;
• 15 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and
• 61 cases in the Winnipeg health region.
The data also shows:
• 3,495 active cases and 2,797 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19;
• there are 130 people in hospital and 20 people in intensive care; and
• the number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 85.
Laboratory testing numbers show 2,410 tests were completed yesterday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February to 265,264. Case investigations continue and if a public health risk is identified, the public will be notified.
Public health officials have advised outbreaks have been declared at Fred Douglas Lodge personal care home, Seine River Retirement Home and Misericordia Health Centre’s Transitional Care unit. The sites have been moved to Critical (red) on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System.
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 urges Manitobans to not socialize with people from outside their household, to cut down the number of close contacts 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.
Public health officials are also advising the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region that anyone who is symptomatic, or has a household member who is symptomatic, the entire household needs to self-isolate pending COVID test results. The symptomatic individual needs to stay in their own room and, if possible, use their own bathroom and not use common areas. Exemptions are in place for asymptomatic household members if they are an essential worker required to wear PPE while at work such as health-care worker or first responder. For information on self-isolation, visit www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/updates/resources.html#collapse2.
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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