Raidah Fairooz:-As of this Friday, 295 new cases were reported in Manitoba, including one death connected to a more contagious COVID-19 variant. A 70-year-old man passed away in Winnipeg due to an infection from the B.1.1.7 variant, originally found in the U.K.
The provincial rate for people being tested positive for Manitoba remains 7.2 per cent while, in Winnipeg, it is 8.1 per cent.The number of people in hospitals rose up to 149 in Manitoba, and amongst them, 39 being in the intensive care unit. Manitoba widened its availability for the AstraZeneca vaccine this Friday.
Adults with critical health conditions are now fully equipped to take the vaccine. A final added quantity of variants of concerns, raised from 1,900 to 2,095. Out of Manitoba’s 2,375 COVID cases, 830 of the test to be more contagious variants. Manitoba’s deputy chief provincial public health officer, Dr. Jazz Atwal stated half of the new variants should be taken under immediate consideration as it is of the utmost concern, most affected being Southern Manitoba. Most of the variant cases are the B.1.1.7 variant and since it has been on the rise, certain alterations will be made to the contact tracing protocols, said Dr. Atwal. Furthermore, most of the population in Manitoba will not be informed by contact tracers, that they have been infected with the B.1.1.7 variant when they test positive as this strain has become more common than the other variants in the south.
With certain exceptions being in the northern and remote areas where this type of variant is not dominant yet, said Dr. Atwal. Manitoba’s seven-day average for COVID-19 cases increased by 33 per cent last week. While there has been constant stability in hospital numbers, admissions in intensive care have been on the rise for about 8 percent per week during the span of one month. So far, there have been 974 death cases related to COVID-19 and seven cases linked to variants.
Source: CBC
