3 deaths linked to Alpha variant in Manitoba, 86 new cases reported on Thursday

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WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is reporting three new deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday, all linked to the Alpha variant.

The deaths include a man in his 60s from the Northern Health Region, a woman in her 70s from the Southern Health Region and a man in his 70s from Winnipeg, increasing the province’s death toll to 1,157.

Manitoba also announced 86 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 56,667. Five cases were removed due to a data correction.

The majority of new cases were in the Winnipeg health region, where 39 cases were reported. The province also reported 16 new cases in the Interlake-Eastern Health Region, 11 cases in the Northern health region, and 10 cases each in the Southern Health and Prairie Mountain Health Region.

The five-day test positivity rate is 5.4 per cent in the province and 5.2 per cent in Winnipeg.

The number of active COVID-19 cases once again crossed the 1,000 case mark on Thursday. There are now 1,016 active COVID-19 cases in the province, while 54,494 people have recovered.

The province reports there are 142 Manitobans hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 56 people have active COVID-19, while 81 people are no longer infectious, but still need care.

There are 39 Manitobans receiving intensive care for COVID-19. Of that number, five are being treated in Ontario.

The three deaths on Thursday from the Alpha variant brings the total deaths connected to variants in Manitoba to 163.

Unspecified variants continue to be the most reported in Manitoba, with 8,190 cases identified, followed by the Alpha variant with 6,969. There have been 218 cases of the Gamma variant, 370 cases of the Delta variant and 73 cases of the Beta variant reported in the province as of Thursday.