Public health officials advise one new death in a person with COVID-19 has been reported today:
• a male in his 70s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to the B.1.1.7 variant of concern. 

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 13 per cent provincially and 14.4 per cent in Winnipeg. As of 9:30 a.m. today, 335 new cases of the virus have been identified. However, one case has been removed due to data correction. This brings the net-new number of cases today to 334 and the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 45,913. 
 
Today’s COVID-19 data shows: 
• 26 cases in the Interlake–Eastern health region;  
• 25 cases in the Northern health region;   
• 14 cases in the Prairie Mountain health region;   
• 29 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and   
• 241 cases in the Winnipeg health region.
 
The data also shows: 
• 4,543 active cases and 40,358 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19;
• 216 people in hospital with active COVID-19 as well as 62 people in hospital with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 278 hospitalizations; 
• 51 people in intensive care units with active COVID-19 as well as 19 people with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care, for a total of 70 ICU patients; 
• 2,893 laboratory tests were completed yesterday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February 2020 to 728,129; and
• the total number of deaths in people with COVID-19 is 1,012.
 
Public health officials are reminding Manitobans that in most cases, they should only seek testing at a provincial test site if they are symptomatic or have been advised by public health that they are a close contact. This will help ensure that those who need to be tested can continue to access testing as easily as possible. Manitobans have several options available to access testing including drive-thru, walk-in or by booking an appointment by calling (toll-free) 1-855-268-4318 or online at select sites at www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/testing/locations.html#appointment.

Additional data on variants of concern is updated from Tuesday to Saturday at https://geoportal.gov.mb.ca/. Data related to COVID-19, outbreaks and some downloadable and historic data can also be found at this site. 

The outbreak has been declared over at Lakeshore General Hospital in Ashern.

Possible exposure locations are listed online by region at the province’s #RestartMB Pandemic Response System webpage. For up-to-date information on possible public exposures to COVID-19 in regions, visit www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/updates/flights.html#event and click on your region. 

A new Fast Pass site opens in Brandon tomorrow for eligible school staff and those working in licensed child-care centres. The site will be co-located with the existing Brandon Keystone Centre site at 1175 18th St. Appointments are required and can be booked by calling (toll-free) 1-888-986-8152. The site has capacity for up to 40 people daily and hours of operation are listed online. Clients will be asked if they meet eligibility criteria and to present proof of eligibility such as a work identification card or employer letter when they arrive for their appointment. More information on COVID-19 testing is available at www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/testing/index.html.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, including the online screening tool, testing criteria and locations, self-isolation requirements, public health fundamentals and the provincial response level on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID19.