3 COVID-19 deaths reported in Manitoba on Wednesday as hospitalizations drop 10

Manitoba reported three COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday as hospitalizations fell by 10, the province's online dashboard says.

There are now 543 people in Manitoba hospitals with COVID-19, more than 200 fewer than when the number peaked on Feb. 2 at 744. 

That includes 29 people in intensive care, down two from Tuesday, and the lowest number since Dec. 30.

The deaths were a woman in her 60s from the Southern Health region, a woman in her 70s from the Interlake-Eastern health region and a man in his 70s from the Northern Health Region.

The number of people in Manitoba who have died due to COVID-19 since the pandemic started is now 1,663.

The province also released more information about 11 deaths that were listed Tuesday on the online dashboard.

Three of the deaths were from Saturday: a man in his 40s and a man in his 60s from the Winnipeg health region, and a man in his 80s from the Southern Health region.

Six deaths were from Sunday: a woman in her 50s, a man in his 80s, and a man in his 90s from the Prairie Mountain Health region, a man in his 70s from the Winnipeg health region, and two women from the Interlake-Eastern health region, one in her 70s and one in her 80s. The latter was linked to an outbreak at Rosewood Lodge Personal Care Home in Stonewall.

The other two deaths were from Monday and both from Southern Health region: a woman in her 80s and a man in his 90s.

The province also reported 369 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, although health officials have repeatedly said those numbers are a significant undercount of the total number of active cases.

Manitoba is strictly restricting access to PCR tests at provincial sites and does not track most rapid test results.

Of the new cases, 178 are in the Northern Health Region, 73 in the Winnipeg health region, 60 in the Prairie Mountain Health region, 36 in the Interlake-Eastern health region, and 22 in the Southern Health region.

A recent breakdown of cases by vaccination status can be viewed on an interactive chart on the government website.

Manitoba's five-day test-positivity rate decreased to 14.8 per cent from 17 per cent on Tuesday.

A new outbreak has been declared at Misericordia Health Centre, unit TCU-C5, in Winnipeg.

Outbreaks are now over at:

• St. Boniface Hospital, Unit E4GM, in Winnipeg.
• Health Sciences Centre, Unit GB3, in Winnipeg.
• Golden Door Geriatric Centre in Winnipeg.
• Tudor House Personal Care Home in Selkirk. 
• Red River Place personal care home in Selkirk.
• Betel Home personal care home in Selkirk.
• Deloraine Health Centre in Deloraine.
• Russell Health Centre in Russell.

Enforcement

The Manitoba government also provided an update on public health order enforcement for the week of Feb. 14 to 20.

A total of 1,564 inspections occurred, which resulted in nine warnings and six tickets. 

Three fines of $298 each were given to people for not wearing a mask in an indoor public place, and two fines of $1,296 were given to people for other public health infractions.

A single $5,000 fine was issued to a business — Chaise Corydon in Winnipeg, which has been fined several times during the pandemic for violating public health orders.

Of the six tickets, four were issued in Winnipeg, one in the Northern Health Region and one in the Southern Health region.