COVID-19 count drops for some northern districts, cases climb in Thompson, Cross Lake, Island Lake

The districts covering Flin Flon and Pukatawagan are still the only ones in the Northern Health Region without active COVID-19 cases - but they may get some company soon. 

New northern cases of COVID-19 have centred around the Cross Lake/Pimicikamak district, where 174 people now have active COVID-19 cases. Another 10 new cases were announced in the region Friday. The Island Lake district, also home to one of the region's largest outbreaks, is up to 173 active cases, having had 19 new cases Friday.

The Thompson/Mystery Lake district reported another 11 cases, bringing them to 74 total active cases - that active case load is down from Thursday, thanks to 13 people now being marked as '"recovered" from COVID-19. The Pas/OCN/Kelsey reported another five cases, but also reported eight recoveries, resulting once again in an active case drop.

Only two districts of the NHR - the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage/Sherridon and Pukatawagan/Mathias Colomb districts - have zero active cases of COVID-19. Three other districts are down to one active case. For more details, see below.

Manitoba reported 90 net new cases of COVID-19 province-wide and two further deaths from the disease, both in Winnipeg. Provincial health officials also confirmed an additional three cases of the B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19 - the so-called "UK variant" - in Manitoba. The exact location of the cases was not announced, but the three cases were all considered to be linked to international travel. All three people have recovered. It is unknown if there is any further spread relating to the cases, or if they are related to the first B.1.1.7 case in Manitoba, reported earlier this month.

The province is down to 1,169 active COVID-19 cases and 213 people in hospital due to COVID-19, with 27 of those people in intensive care.

Saskatchewan reported another 146 new cases of the disease Feb. 19, nine of which were in the far north east health zone. Five of those cases were located in the far north east 2 health district, which includes Creighton, Denare Beach, Pelican Narrows, Sandy Bay and other communities in the region. The far north east zone is now up to 25 active cases - 21 of which, as of Feb. 18, were in the Pelican Narrows area according to the community's Angelique Canada Health Centre.