Officials share that the province is nearing 100 active COVID-19 cases as the five-day test positivity rate is remaining at less than 0.5 per cent.

Officials report 27 new cases of the virus have been identified since Saturday including two on Saturday, 18 on Sunday, five on Monday and two as of 9:30 a.m. today. This brings the total number of lab-confirmed positive and probable positive cases in Manitoba to 442.

The data shows 12 new cases in the Southern Health region, 10 in the Prairie Mountain Health region, two new cases in the Interlake-Eastern Health region, three in Winnipeg.

Nine people are currently hospitalized with four individuals in intensive care. There are 94 active cases and 341 individuals have recovered from COVID-19. The number of deaths due to COVID-19 is eight.

The 18 new cases on Saturday may have shocked Manitobans, Health Minister Cameron Friesen says. The Province has measured an uptick in recent weeks, including a new COVID-related death on July 28, the first in nearly three months.

However, Friesen says what's reassuring is out of those 27 cases, almost every one can be tracked to a known case or linked to travel, and either spread throughout a household or close contact.

"There are a couple that still need more investigation and follow-up, but to our knowledge the 27 cases are not linked to a known community spread," Manitoba's Chief Nursing Officer Lanette Siragusa says.

"On the basis of that... it's still appropriate to move about the community and conduct your business and go places, if it were otherwise we would be clearly saying so today," Friesen says.

Public Health continues to investigate and determine case contacts. "People who have COVID-19 are being very good about indicating who are the people they've had the most contact with, and those people are being contacted. All along this chain the right things continue to be done by Manitobans," Friesen explains.

He adds it's also encouraging to see the high number of tests and low positivity rate.

An additional 1,803 laboratory tests were completed on Friday, 1,354 on Saturday, 1,090 on Sunday and 1,034 on Monday, bringing the total number of tests completed since early February to 93,995.

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 0.46 per cent.

Cases identified on Saturday include a male in his 70s from the Interlake–Eastern health region and a male in his 40s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region.

Cases identified on Sunday include:

  • a male in his 30s from the Winnipeg health region;
  • a female between the ages of 10 to 19 from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
  • a female in her 20s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
  • a female in her 20s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
  • a male in his 40s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
  • a female in her 40s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
  • a male in his 40s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
  • a female in her 50s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
  • a male in his 50s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region;
  • a male in his 30s from the Prairie Mountain Health region;
  • a male in his 30s from the Prairie Mountain Health region;
  • a male in his 30s from the Prairie Mountain Health region;
  • a male in his 30s from the Prairie Mountain Health region;
  • a male in his 30s from the Prairie Mountain Health region;
  • a female in her 30s from the Prairie Mountain Health region;
  • a female in her 40s from the Prairie Mountain Health region;
  • a male in his 60s from the Prairie Mountain Health region; and
  • a female in her 60s from the Prairie Mountain Health region.

Cases identified on Monday include:

  • a female in her 60s from the Winnipeg health region;
  • a female in her 30s from the Interlake–Eastern health region;
  • a male in his 30s from the Prairie Mountain Health region;
  • a female in her 60s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and
  • a female in her 70s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region.

Cases identified on Tuesday include a female in her 30s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region and a male in his 30s from the Winnipeg health region.