20th person dies of COVID-19 in Manitoba as 39 new cases reported

Another person has died after contracting COVID-19, bringing the number of deaths linked to the virus up to 20 in Manitoba.

The person who died was a man in his 70s from the Prairie Mountain Health region, the province says.

Another 39 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Manitoba on Monday.

There are 22 new known cases in the Winnipeg health region, seven cases each in the Interlake-Eastern and Northern health regions and three in the Southern Health region.

The cases found in northern Manitoba are from a First Nation and they are all close contacts, Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin said.

There are 618 known active cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba, with 13 people in hospital, including seven in intensive care.

The province is advising the public of more places where people may have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

A second confirmed case of COVID-19 was found at St. Maurice School in Winnipeg.

The person may have been at the school while infectious on Sept. 17 and 18.

So far, contact tracing investigators do not believe the new case is linked to the first case reported at the school.

Further exposures may have happened at:

Denny’s, at 4100 Portage Ave. in Winnipeg, on Sept. 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sept. 20 from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
XXI Lounge, at 1011 Pembina Highway in Winnipeg, on Sept. 18 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sept. 19 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The five-day test positivity rate in Manitoba is still at 2.2 per cent.

READ Why COVID-19 cases are surging across Canada and what needs to be done

There were 2,647 COVID-19 tests performed on Friday, 2,196 on Saturday and 1,596 on Sunday.

The total number of COVID-19 tests done in Manitoba since February is 180,750.

Monday marks the first day code orange restrictions are in effect in Winnipeg and 17 surrounding communities.

Masks must be worn in all indoor public places, and all gatherings — taking place inside or outside — have a 10-person limit.

“We know that all of these actions not only protect ourselves, they protect the people around us, people we love and our community,” he said.

“We encourage Manitobans to step up once again to reduce the transmission of this virus.”

Roussin told reporters on Monday that the 10-person cap on private gatherings is in addition to the people who live at a residence.

If six people live in a home, an additional 10 people can visit at one time, Roussin said, although he stressed a couple of times that people should try to limit their number of close contacts.