The Province of Manitoba is eliminating the essential items list after seeing people travel from Northern Manitoba to Winnipeg to shop.

In an effort to reduce intraprovincial travel, the orders will be modified to eliminate the essential items list for northern Manitoba communities. This will allow all stores in the north to open for the sale of products provided physical distancing is maintained and occupancy limits of 25 per cent only or a maximum of 250 people, whichever is lower. This will go into effect tonight at 11:59 p.m.  Other orders remain in effect, including hair salons being closed.

Public health officials advise three additional deaths in people with COVID-19 have been reported today including: 
• a male in his 70s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region, linked to an outbreak at the Heritage Life Personal Care Home in Niverville; 
• a male in his 80s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region, linked to an outbreak at the Heritage Life Personal Care Home in Niverville; and
• a female in her 80s from the Winnipeg health region.

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 7.9 per cent provincially and 4.2 per cent in Winnipeg. As of 9:30 a.m. today, 89 new cases of the virus have been identified. However, two cases have been removed due to a data correction. This brings the net-new number of cases today to 87 and the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 29,651.

Today’s COVID-19 data shows:
• 22 cases in Interlake–Eastern health region; 
• 42 cases in the Northern health region; 
• three cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region; 
• four cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and 
• 18 cases in the Winnipeg health region. 

The data also shows:
• 3,466 active cases and 25,353 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19; 
• there are 104 people in hospital with active COVID-19 as well as 151 people in hospital with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 255 hospitalizations;
• there are 27 people in intensive care units with active COVID-19 as well as 11 people with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care for a total of 38 ICU patients; and
• the total number of deaths in people with COVID-19 is 832.

Laboratory testing numbers show 1,603 tests were completed yesterday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February 2020 to 478,810. Case investigations continue and if a public health risk is identified, the public will be notified.

Additional data related to COVID-19, including data on outbreaks as well as some downloadable and historic data, can be found at https://geoportal.gov.mb.ca/.

An outbreak has been declared at Actionmarguerite St. Joseph personal care home in Winnipeg. The facility has been moved to the Critical (Red) level on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System.  

In partnership with the chief and council from Pauingassi First Nation, provincial public health officials continue to see a trend of concerning case numbers and are working with the community and other partners to address the situation. The community has been moved to Critical (red) on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System. The chief and council have directed that public gatherings are not permitted and community residents are required to stay at home. People should only leave their residence to seek testing or medical care, or to send one person from a household for essential supplies. People who work in essential services are able to leave their residence for work. Non-medical masks must be worn outside the home.

The outbreak has been declared over at Actionmarguerite St. Vital in Winnipeg.

Effective today, individuals working in licensed child-care centres, nursery schools and family/group child-care homes within Winnipeg or the Hanover and Seine River school division boundaries will be able to access an appointment for COVID-19 testing at the Fast Pass site at 1066 Nairn Ave. in Winnipeg. Appointments for the pilot site open today for eligible child-care providers. For more information, visit www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/testing/rapid-testing.html.