23 COVID-19 deaths, 52 more hospitalizations in Manitoba over the weekend

Manitoba recorded another 23 COVID-19 deaths and hospitals admitted 52 more patients over the weekend.

The number of COVID patients in Manitoba hospitals resumed its record-breaking pace, which has been going for more than four weeks, with the exception of last Friday when it dropped by one.

On Monday, 716 COVID patients occupied hospital beds in Manitoba.

Despite the increase in hospitalizations, the load of COVIDpatients in intensive care units got slightly lighter, dropping by one to 49. According to provincial health officials, there are now three pediatric COVID-19 patients in ICU.

There are now 102 patientsboth COVID- and non-COVID-relatedin Manitoba ICUs. The critical care programs' pre-pandemic baseline capacity was 72.

The daily case count dropped to its lowest point in more than a month, with 536 new cases announced Monday. Over the last three days, the province added 2,112 new cases to its total.

Health officials have said the daily case counts significantly under-represent the true number of new infections because many either have no symptoms or are confirmed by rapid tests, which are not counted in the province's official tally.

Manitoba's five-day test-positivity rate increased to 33.3 per cent, from 32.4 per cent on Friday.

Of the deaths announced Monday, nine were reported on Saturday, 11 on Sundayand three on Monday.

Eight of those deaths are linked to outbreaks: a woman in her 90s at Oakview Place in Winnipeg;a man in his 90s and a woman in her 80sat Hillcrest Place in the Prairie Mountain Health region; a man in his 70s at Deer Lodge Centre in Winnipeg; a woman in her 80s at West Park Manor in Winnipeg; a woman in her 90s at Misericordia Health Centrein Winnipeg; a man in his 80s at Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, and a Woman in her 90s at Rideau Park care home in Prairie mountain.

The deaths announced Monday also include two men in their 50s from the Southern Health region;a woman in her 60s from the Winnipeg region; a woman and a man in their 70s from Prairie Mountain; four women and one man in their 70s from Winnipeg; three men in their80s from Winnipeg, and twowomen in their 90s from Winnipeg.

These latest deaths bring Manitoba's toll to 1,515.

Labs completed 1,985 PCR tests on Sunday.

A total of 38.691 cases are currently listed as active.

Of the new cases announced Monday, 266 are in the Winnipeg region, 82 are in the Northern region, 76 are in Prairie Mountain, 60 are in Southern Health, and 52 are in Interlake-Eastern.

In the seven-day period ending Jan. 20, health officials reported a 24.2 per cent decrease in the number of new cases from the previous week, while ICU admissions increased 8.1 per cent and hospitalizations decreased 0.3 per cent over the same period.

As of Monday, 54.7 per cent of kids in Manitobabetween the ages of five and 11 have received a dose of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine.

Outbreaks declared

Outbreaks have been declared at:

• Golden Door Geriatric Centre inWinnipeg.
• Meadowood Manor in Winnipeg.
• Bethesda Regional Health Centremedical ward in Steinbach.
• Westman Nursing Home inVirden.
• Assiniboine Centre at theBrandon Regional Health Centre in Brandon.

Outbreak declared over at St. Claude personal care home in St. Claude and Northern Spirit Manor in Thompson.