Some childcare workers will be eligible to access their COVID-19 test results sooner than the general population.

Public health officials advise three additional deaths in people with COVID-19 have been reported today including:
• a female in her 30s from the Winnipeg health region;
• a female in her 50s from the Winnipeg health region; and
• a female in her 80s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to the outbreak at Concordia Place Personal Care Home.

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 7.5 per cent provincially and 4.9 per cent in Winnipeg. As of 9:30 a.m. today, 157 new cases of the virus have been identified. However, five cases have been removed due to a data correction. This brings the net-new number of cases today to 152 and the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 29,280.

Today’s COVID-19 data shows:
• nine cases in Interlake–Eastern health region;
• 81 cases in the Northern health region;
• 24 cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region;
• 14 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and
• 29 cases in the Winnipeg health region.

The data also shows:
• 3,490 active cases and 24,967 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19;
• there are 122 people in hospital with active COVID-19 as well as 150 people in hospital with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 272 hospitalizations;
• there are 29 people in intensive care units with active COVID-19 as well as 10 people with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care for a total of 39 ICU patients; and
• the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 is 823. Due to a data correction, one death that had been reported earlier has been removed.

Laboratory testing numbers show 2,176 tests were completed yesterday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February 2020 to 473,801. Case investigations continue and if a public health risk is identified, the public will be notified.

Individuals working in licensed child-care centres, nursery schools and family/group child-care homes within the city of Winnipeg or the Hanover and Seine River school division boundaries will soon 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 will open to eligible child-care providers effective Feb. 1.

An outbreak has been declared at Wapanohk Community School in Thompson. The site has been moved to Critical (red) on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System.