183 new COVID-19 cases, 5 deaths reported in Manitoba Thursday

Manitoba public health officials announced 183 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths from the illness on Thursday.

The highest number of new cases was reported in the Southern Health region, which had 60, according to Thursday's update on the province's COVID-19 dashboard.

The Prairie Mountain Health region had the second highest number of cases with 44, while 38 were reported in the Winnipeg health region, 34 were reported in the Northern Health Region, and seven were reported in the Interlake-Eastern Health region.

The province says 115 of Thursday's new cases were in people not vaccinated, four were in people only partially vaccinatedand 64 were in people fully vaccinated.

The five-day test positivity rate in the province is now 5.5 per cent, down from 5.9 per cent on Wednesday. In Winnipeg, it is 2.5 per cent.

There are 136 people in hospital with COVID-19, down from 153 on Wednesday. That includes 24 in intensive care, up two patients from the day before.

Half of patients in hospital with activeCOVID-19 are not vaccinated, while 45 per cent are, and five per cent are partially vaccinated, the province's online dashboard says.

As of Thursday, 85.1 per cent of eligible Manitobans have two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 87.7 per cent have one dose.

The province also provided more information in a news bulletinon the 12 people who have died from COVID-19 since Monday.

Four of the deaths were linked to outbreaks at personal care homes and/or hospitals.

The four deaths reported Tuesday were a woman in her 50s from the Interlake-Eastern health region, a woman in her 80s from the Prairie Mountain Health region, a woman in her 70s from the Southern Health region, and a man in his 50s from the Southern Health region.

The deaths reported Wednesday were a man in his 60s from the Southern Health region, a woman in her 70s from the Winnipeg health region, and a woman in her 80s from the Southern Health regionlinked to an outbreak at Third Crossing Manor.

The five deaths reported Thursday were a woman in her 70s from the Prairie Mountain Health regionlinked to an outbreak at the Benito Personal Care Home, a man in his 70s from the Prairie Mountain Health region, a woman in her 80s from the Prairie Mountain Health regionlinked to an outbreak at the Russell Health Centre and Russell Personal Care Home, a man his 90s from the Winnipeg health regionlinked to an outbreak at Holy Family Home, and a woman in her 100s from the Winnipeg health region.

Outbreaks have been declared at theSeven Oaks General Hospitalin Winnipeg (4 Unit 8-12, geri-rehab unit)and in the Evergreen unit of Salem Home inWinkler.

Meanwhile, three schools are experiencing outbreaks:Ralph Maybank School in Winnipeg (Grade 5/6 class), J. R. Reid School in Brandon(Grade 4 class)and St. Alphonsus School in Winnipeg (Grade 5 class).

There have been 55 new cases in school-age children and school staffreported since the province's online dashboard was last updated Tuesday. That brings the total number of school-related cases in Manitoba since Sept. 7 to 1,401 (1,198 student cases and 203 staff cases).

Outbreaks have been declared over atthe following places:

• New Era School in Brandon (Grade 4/5).
• South Pointe School in Winnipeg (Grade 2).
• Ralph Maybank School in Winnipeg(Grade 2/3).
• Stony Mountain Elementary in Stony Mountain(Grade 5/6).
• WestdaleSchoolin Winnipeg(Grade 6-1).
• Russell Health Centre in Russell.

The province also reported Thursday that 154more cases have now been linked to more infectious variants of concern, all of which were ofunspecified variants.

On Wednesday, Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin saidthe province will stop providing information on how many COVID-19 cases are linked to coronavirus variants as ofFriday,because nearly all cases in Manitoba now stem from the highly contagious delta variant.