Manitoba sees 42 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, nearly 300 active in province

Manitoba public health officials say there have been 42 new cases of coronavirus identified as of Saturday morning, bringing the total number of lab-confirmed cases in the province to 872.

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 1.8 per cent.

The data shows there were:
• 24 new cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region
• 16 new cases in Southern Health-Santé Sud
• two new cases in the Winnipeg health region

Manitoba public health officials say there are six people currently in hospital with one in intensive care.

There are 290 known active cases in Manitoba, while 570 people have recovered.

The total number of deaths in the province due to COVID-19 remains 12.

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Starting on Monday, the Prairie Mountain health region is being elevated to the restricted level (orange).

That means masks will be mandatory in all public indoor places and at all indoor and outdoor public gatherings in the region. Public gatherings will also be restricted to 10 people, both indoors and outdoors.

Manitobans within this region are encouraged to take these extra precautions immediately to help slow the spread of this virus.

Testing numbers show an additional 1,849 laboratory tests were completed on Friday, bringing the total number of tests completed since early February to 124,140.

The province is also reminding people to focus on the fundamentals to help stop the spread of COVID-19. This means not going out while you feel ill, practicing proper hand hygiene, covering your cough and physical distancing when you are with people outside your household. If you can’t physical distance, wear a mask.

A new community COVID-19 testing site will open at 2735 Pembina Highway in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

The site will be open to the public on a walk-in basis, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days per week.

Access Fort Garry (135 Plaza Drive) will no longer be offering COVID-19 testing once the new site opens. Their last day of public testing will be Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.