Manitoba鈥檚 COVID-19 situation is continuing to escalate, nearing the 500 active case mark and reporting more outbreaks in southern regions.
Over the weekend and on Monday, Manitoba reported 118 total cases in just three days - 55 new cases August 29, 35 on August 30 and 28 new cases August 31.
Most recent cases have been either found in Winnipeg or in the Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) region. That trend continued August 31, with 13 new cases in PMH and seven new cases found in Winnipeg. Six new cases were reported in Southern Health-Sante Sud, while two cases came from the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority. No new cases were reported in the Northern Health Region.
Out of the 22 new cases found August 31, 14 were people who were close contacts to previous cases of COVID-19.
Throughout Manitoba, 1,214 people have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic started - 469 of those people, almost 40 per cent of all cases found, are still sick. Eleven people are in hospital with one person in intensive care.
Three recent cases have been found at the Brandon Regional Health Centre, specifically at the Assiniboine Centre. Two cases were found in health care workers, while the third was found in a patient. Investigators believe the patient received the disease at the facility, but have not announced publicly how.
Another health care related case was reported at Brandon鈥檚 Fairview Personal Care Home, with a worker at the home testing positive after being a close contact of another case. Families and staff who may have come in contact with the worker have been notified by provincial health officials.
Possible exposure to COVID-19 was reported at Brandon鈥檚 Frederickson Performance Centre August 17 from 7 a.m.-8:30 a.m. and August 23 from 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Masks will be mandated at all health care facilities in Manitoba starting Sept. 1, including for staff, visitors and outpatients attending hospitals for appointments. The rule does not include some facilities, including primary care clinics, but mask use is still advised.
COVID-19 testing in Manitoba has been limited to people who have either showed symptoms or who have been referred for testing by a health car worker.
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Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is heading the opposite way of Manitoba, slowly returning to the good old days of sunny skies and speaking moistly. The province has kept its new case load to single digits for the past week, reporting only four new cases August 31 - one in south central Saskatchewan, one in Saskatoon, one in the central east and one in the south west. The province is down to 34 active cases and three people in hospital, two of which are in intensive care.听
Many of the province鈥檚 recent cases have been connected to Hutterite communities, but the numbers suggest a turning tide. Of the 34 remaining active cases, only five have been reported in 鈥渃ommunal living settings鈥�, the province鈥檚 preferred euphemism for Hutterite communities.The number of on-colony cases is now so low that the province plans on ending announcements specific for Hutterite cases unless case loads for these communities increase over 20.
Far north Saskatchewan鈥檚 streak of having no COVID-19 cases is unfortunately over - a new case is currently active in the far north west region. The region, which contains communities including La Loche and Clearwater River Dene Nation, has seen more cases of COVID-19 than any other Saskatchewan region, but has seen active cases flatline in recent weeks. The home community for the new case is unknown, but no community spread is known as of August 31.
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