Manitoba sees drop in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations

Vaccine rollout for young children Manitoba is rolling our COVID-19 vaccines for young children. CTV’s Michelle Gerwing has the details.

The number of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Manitoba has decreased.

According to the latest Provincial Respiratory Surveillance Report, there were 171 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases between July 10 and July 16. This is a decrease of 58 cases compared to the week before.

The report notes that during this week an average of 276 people tested for COVID-19 per day, with the test positivity rate decreasing from 14.8 per cent to 13.9 per cent.

Along with COVID-19 cases, Manitoba also saw a drop in the number of COVID-related hospital admissions.

From July 10 to 16, there were 52 hospital admissions, a decrease of seven from the week before.

The province reported two ICU admissions during this week, as well as two deaths. This brings the COVID-19 death toll to 2,056.

As for vaccination rates, 83.1 per cent of Manitoba aged five and older have been fully vaccinated, with 55.4 per cent of those over the age of 18 receiving at least one additional dose.

On Wednesday, Manitoba announced it will start booking vaccine appointments for kids aged six months to fours years old on July 25. However, due to a limited number of doses initially, kids with specific health conditions will be prioritized.

Wastewater surveillance data for Winnipeg shows ongoing activity of COVID-19, with a general decrease in activity.