3 more Manitoba COVID-19 patients die in Ontario hospitals

Three more Manitobanswho had been receiving critical careat Ontario hospitalshavedied, a Shared Health spokesperson said on Tuesday.

A woman in her 50s who was transferred to an Ontario hospital on May 18, a manin his60s who was flown to Ontario on May 25 and another man in his 60s who was transported on May30 have died, according to Shared Health.

The spokespersondid not say which hospitals the patients had been moved to or when theydied.Their deaths have not been included in Manitoba's official COVID-19 fatality total which stands at 1,104 as of Tuesday but will be reflected inthat total in the coming days, Shared Health said.

"Our condolences are extended to these individuals' families and loved ones for their loss," the spokesperson said.

To date, seven Manitoba COVID-19 patients have died at facilities in other provinces.

On Tuesday, the province reported 116 new cases of COVID-19, marking thethird consecutive day the daily number of new cases hasbeen below 200.

The Shared Health spokesperson says that's a good sign, but hospitals are still overburdened.

"While daily case counts are trending in a positive direction, Manitoba's hospitals are still straining to handle the patient surge and further out-of-province transports to help manage capacity remains an option for our health-care system for the foreseeable future," the spokesperson said in an email to CBC News.

There are currently 24COVID-19 patientsfrom Manitobabeing treated out of province 23in Ontario and one in Alberta.

Another 63 patients are currently being treated in intensive care units in Manitoba.

Fifty-six patients have been returned to Manitobasince the province started sending people to out-of-province hospitals in mid-May to help manage its strained intensive care system.

No patients have been transported out of the province for the past three days, Shared Health says.