Number of COVID-19 deaths in Manitoba decreases, test positivity up

Hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19 in Manitoba declined during the past week, despite an increase in overall cases.

There were 13virus-related deathsfromOct. 2-8, saysthe province's latestweekly surveillance report, released Thursday. The previous two weeks both had 17.

The total number of people who have died from the virusduring the pandemic is now2,190.

Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 also decreased to 73 from 77 the previous week.

There were 14 people admitted to intensive care units due to severe outcomes. That's an increase of one over the previous week.

The province'svolume of lab tests dropped from just over 300 during the previoustwo weeks to 284 in the most recent week of surveillance, yet the test positivity rateincreased to 24.1 per cent from 23.4.

That continues atrend of increasing positivity rates for the past four weeks.

There were 341 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, an increase of 36 over the previousweek. However, those numbers are believed to be significant undercounts of the true number of infections, due to limited access to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, the only type of test recorded by Manitoba Public Health.

Federal wastewater surveillance data for Winnipeg and Brandonindicatesongoing activity of COVID-19 but at alower level from most of September.

The province's next COVID-19 surveillancereportisscheduled to come out Oct.20.