Manitoba posts 141 new COVID-19 cases, 2 more deaths as infections rise in province
CBC
Manitoba reported 141 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths on the provincial government's online portal on Friday.
The seven-day average of new cases jumped to 113 — its highest mark through the fourth wave of the pandemic. The previous high was 112 on Oct. 8.
The infection rates have been steadily climbing in Manitoba through the week, while they are declining in every other province.
But they are still a long way from May 22, when Manitoba hit the peak of its third wave and the seven-day average case count was 482.
Of the latest 141 cases, 83 are in the Southern health region, which also posted both deaths. That region, with just over 15 per cent of the Manitoba population, has the lowest vaccination rate in the province.
Another 22 cases are in the Winnipeg health region, 19 are in the Northern region, nine are in Prairie Mountain region and eight are in the Interlake-Eastern health region.
There is no information available about the age or sex of the two people who died. The Manitoba government no longer holds news conferences or sends news releases on Fridays to update case numbers, although some figures are available online.
The total number of deaths in Manitoba since the pandemic started is now 1,244. That includes 237 due to variants of concern.
Friday's new cases include 97 (69 per cent) in people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. Another seven (five per cent) are in people who are partly vaccinated, the province's dashboard says, while 37, or 26 per cent, are fully vaccinated.
Among people hospitalized with active cases of COVID-19, 72 per cent are unvaccinated, while 20 per cent are fully vaccinated.
As for patients in intensive care units with active COVID-19 symptoms, 85 per cent are not vaccinated and 15 per cent are fully vaccinated.
The provincial five-day test positivity rate rose slightly to 3.9 per cent, up from 3.8 per cent on Thursday. The rate for Winnipeg is 1.1, down from 1.5 per cent on Thursday.
The rates for Manitoba's other health regions, according to internal provincial data:
There are currently 1,217 active COVID-19 cases in the province (an increase of 64 from Thursday), of which 640 are variants of concern.
Some Canadian seniors say they're feeling abandoned by the Liberal government's latest inflation relief measure after learning they don't qualify for it.
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
The weather has certainly been gloomy, damp and windy over the past 10 days in Nova Scotia and it's going to continue this weekend.
Premier Susan Holt says the federal tax holiday on some goods announced Thursday could cost New Brunswick $62 million in revenue.
Thousands in Quebec's Montérégie region will not get their flu and COVID-19 vaccine directly at their seniors' residence anymore.
A 17-year-old boy is dead after he was shot by an RCMP officer in Norway House Cree Nation on Friday.
Saskatchewan road crews and residents alike are getting ready for another icy blast of winter this weekend.
Student leaders at the University of Alberta are criticizing the school's plan to hike tuition — particularly for international students.
Environment Canada says a new fall storm will bring winds gusting up to 110 km/h to southwestern British Columbia on Friday, potentially causing more outages and travel disruption.
Environment Canada says strong winds could cause damage to roofs and windows in P.E.I.'s Kings County and Prince County this weekend, with power outages possible from fallen tree branches.
City council has approved a 3.6 per cent increase in municipal property taxes for next year. The decision follows five days of debate on adjustments to next year's civic budget.