Flin Flon district reports five new COVID-19 cases, 84 new northern Manitoba cases reported

Five new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage/Sherridon health district, part of a continuing surge of the disease in the north.

While the district containing Flin Flon was down to one active case for a short point earlier this month, a slow increase in cases reported locally in the last week has pushed the district up to 10 active cases of COVID-19.

The news came on a day when the Northern Health Region (NHR) led the province in new cases once again, reporting 84 of Manitoba's 191 new COVID-19 cases reported Jan. 15. Provincial five-day test positivity rates are hovering around 10 per cent, but are decidedly lower in Winnipeg, where 7.2 per cent of tests in the last five days have come up positive.

A person has died in the NHR from COVID-19, listed by the provincial government as a man in his 70s from the Lynn Lake/Marcel Colomb/Leaf Rapids/O-Pipon-Na-Piwin/Granville Lake district.

The region with the most new cases reported Friday was the Island Lake district, where community spread has pushed the remote district to 391 active cases - an increase of 37 cases, with only one new recovery. Eleven new cases were reported in Thompson/Mystery Lake, but a boost in recoveries offset the new cases, sending the region's active case load down from 79 Thursday to 77 Friday.

The Shamattawa/York Factory/Tataskweyak/Split Lake district remains one of northern Manitoba's highest case areas with 339 active cases. One new case of COVID-19 was found in the region Friday.

Active cases in northern Manitoba's latest outright outbreak, located in the Lynn Lake district, have declined due to increased recoveries. Eight new cases were found in the district but active cases now sit at 142 in the region - two less than the province reported Thursday.

Province-wide, 2,907 people still have active cases of COVID-19, including 284 people in hospital and 118 people hospitalized with active cases. There are now 35 people in ICU due to COVID-19, including 16 people with active COVID-19 infections in ICU.

"Our test positivity rates, case numbers and hospitalizations are starting to come down," said Manitoba provincial chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin Jan. 15.

"Every day, more and more eligible Manitobans are getting the COVID-19 vaccine - this is bringing hope with it. The actions and hard work of Manitobans are making a difference."

Since the pandemic began, 760 people have died in Manitoba from COVID-19.

Saskatchewan

Another 382 cases were reported in Saskatchewan Friday, pushing the province over 4,000 active cases.

One new case reported in the far north east health zone was tested out of province. It is unknown if this person was tested at the Flin Flon COVID-19 testing site or if they live in or around Flin Flon.

Twenty-four of the new cases reported in Saskatchewan were found in the far north east health zone, where 406 people currently have active COVID-19 cases. Of those cases, 88 are in the far north east 2 health zone, which includes Creighton, Denare Beach, Pelican Narrows, Sandy Bay and other communities near Flin Flon.