Manitoba reported less than 100 new cases of COVID-19 for the second day in a row Jan. 27, with 95 more infections announced. Forty-four of the new cases were in the Winnipeg health region and 43 in the Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA).
Thirteen of the northern cases were in the Grand Rapids/Misipawistik/Easterville/Chemawawin/Moose Lake health district and there were eight new cases each in the Gillam/Fox Lake and Island Lake health districts. The Thompson/Mystery Lake health district had seven new cases and there were four new cases in the Shamattawa/York Factory/Tataskweyak/Split Lake health district.
Forty-one northers were in hospital due to COVID-19 on Wednesday, 37 of them with active infections and four of them in intensive care. The NRHA has now had 3,606 total cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
Province-wide, there are 281 people in hospital due to the virus, 127 of whose cases are still considered active. Thirty-six of them are in intensive care, including 12 who are no longer considered infectious.
Four more deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in Manitoba Jan. 27, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 813.
The provincial five-day test positivity rate on Wednesday was 9.6 per cent.
Health and Seniors Care Minister Heather Stefanson and Dr. Joss Reimer, medical officer of health with Manitoba Health and Seniors Care and medical lead on the vaccine implementation task force, announced further priority groups for vaccinations at a news conference on Wednesday. The second stage includes more health care workers, residents of high and moderate-risk congregate living facilities, First Nations people and anyone over 80 years old, starting with those 95 or older and working down. Essential workers may be added to the priority groups if vaccine supplies increase.
“We still have more people to immunize within [stage one],” said Reimer, adding that there are still some appointments available to receive vaccinations at the Thompson immunization site that opens Feb. 1.
Immunization of second stage priority groups may not start until April, Reimer said, unless vaccine availability changes. The low supply scenario anticipates vaccinating 70 per cent of Manitobans by the end of the year. Under a high supply scenario, that target could be reached by the end of August.
To date, 33,361 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Manitoba, including 28,274 first doses and 5,087 second doses. This includes about 2,000 first doses and a couple dozen second doses given to northern residents. There have been 18 adverse reactions to the vaccines so far in the province, which Reimer said was well within the normal range for any type of vaccination.
