Manitoba’s top doctor and the province’s chief nursing officer will give a COVID-19 update Monday after hundreds of new cases and several more deaths were reported over the weekend.
Dr. Brent Roussin and Lanette Siragusa have scheduled a press conference for 12:30 p.m. Global News will stream the event live in this story.
Read more:
4 COVID-19 deaths in Manitoba, 161 new cases Sunday, 77 hospitalized
The media briefing will be the first opportunity for health officials to answer questions from reporters after a combined 314 new cases and six deaths were reported Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday’s 161 new cases marked the sixth consecutive day new cases have topped 100 in Manitoba.
The latest cases bring the province’s total number of lab-confirmed cases reported in Manitoba to 4,249.
As of Sunday, there were 77 people in hospital and 15 people in intensive care, while the number of deaths due to the coronavirus is 54.
Premier Brian Pallister announced Monday that an additional test site will be opening at 125 King Edward St. on Halloween.
Read more:
Two more Manitoba deaths, 153 new COVID-19 cases
“Additional sites are being planned at the University of Manitoba and Assiniboia Downs to provide greater access for Manitobans,” he said in a press release.
With growing numbers of cases in the northern health region and Churchill, the province introduced targeted measures under the restricted (orange) level of the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System Monday to reduce community spread of the virus by reducing prolonged close contact between people.
The changes are the same elevated restrictions currently in place in Winnipeg, which include closing casinos and bingo halls and limiting occupancy in restaurants.
Extra measures are also being put in place for schools in the Winnipeg area and the north starting Monday. They include cancelling field trips, banning choirs and wind instruments and requiring substitute teachers to wear medical masks.
The province says the latest measures will be in place for a minimum of two weeks.
Read more:
Heightened restrictions begin in Winnipeg schools Monday
As of Sunday, Manitoba had 2,053 known active cases and 2,142 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, according to provincial data.
Manitoba’s five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate was 6.9 per cent as of Sunday.
–With files from The Canadian Press and Global’s Amber McGuckin
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.