111 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in the province today. It was also announced that 11 more people have died from COVID-19.

Those who died from the virus have been identified as:

• a female in her 50s from the Interlake-Eastern health region;
• a male in his 80s from the Prairie Mountain Health region, linked to the outbreak at the McCreary/Alonsa Health Centre;
• a male in his 80s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
• a male in his 90s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region, linked to the outbreak at Heritage Life Personal Care Home;
• a male in his 50s from the Winnipeg health region;
• a male in his 60s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to the outbreak at the Southeast Personal Care Home;
• a male in his 70s from the Winnipeg health region;
• a female in her 80s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to the outbreak at Deer Lodge Centre, Lodge 4 West;
• a male in his 90s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to the outbreak at the Concordia Place;
• a male in his 90s from the Winnipeg health region; and
• a female in her 90s from the Winnipeg health region.

The five-day test positivity rate is 9.9 per cent provincially and 7.4 per cent in Winnipeg.

The total number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba is 27,740.

Today’s cases are from the following health regions:

• 12 cases in the Interlake-Eastern health region
• 33 cases in the Northern health region
• eight cases in Prairie Mountain health region
• six cases in the Southern health region
• 52 cases in the Winnipeg health region

There are currently 3,088 active cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba with 23,869 people who have been listed as recovered.

279 are being treated in the hospital of which 131 are considered infectious. 37 people with the virus are in Intensive Care Units with 25 of them still considered infectious.

783 Manitobans have died since COVID-19 first arrived in the province.

1,462 tests were completed yesterday. Since the virus first arrived in February 2020, there have been 454,951 tests completed.

An outbreak has been declared at Donwood Manor in Winnipeg.

The province announced that they are considering amending the current public health order restrictions as early as Friday.

Areas under consideration are household limits, retail operations, non-regulated health services and hair salons/barbershops and include the following proposed changes:

Household Limits

• two additional people (family or friends) to visit a household;
• outdoor visits of up to five people plus members of a household on outdoor private property

Funerals

• funerals to have up to 10 people in addition to the officiant.

Retail Operations

• all stores to open for the sale of all products and current requirements to maintain physical distancing and occupancy limits would remain in place and be enforced.  
• the elimination of the list of the essential items.
• reduced capacity of 25 per cent with a maximum of 250 people would be maintained.

Health Services

• non-regulated health services, such as podiatrists and reflexologists, to reopen with adequate physical distancing and requirements to collect information for contact tracing purposes

Hair salons & Barbershops

• barbershops and hairstylists to reopen at 25 per cent capacity with adequate physical distancing and requirements to collect information for contact tracing purposes.

“As we look at ways to gradually ease restrictions on the way Manitobans socialize and do business, we must always consider the needs of our health-care system and our vulnerable communities,” said Dr Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer. “We cannot lose sight of the progress we have made over the last 10 weeks, which is why it is crucial that Manitobans continue to follow the fundamentals as we move forward through this pandemic.”

Roussin noted that although these changes are under consideration the final health orders will be introduced later this week before the current orders expire on January 22.

Due to the high case counts in the north Roussin noted that changes to the public health orders would most likely only apply in the Winnipeg, Southern Health–Santé Sud, Interlake–Eastern and Prairie Mountain Health regions. 

It is expected that the revised health orders will be in place for three weeks beginning on Saturday.

© News4.ca 2021