Manitoba announces highest COVID-19 case total in months - 502 new cases, 17 in north

Well, this isn't good. Manitoba reported its highest one-day number of COVID-19 cases since November, with over 500 cases reported province-wide.

A total of 502 new cases were reported province-wide May 7, with most of the cases - 389, to be exact - found in Winnipeg. The province is approaching 3,000 active cases, with 201 people in hospital due to COVID-19 - 56 of whom are in intensive care. One additional death from COVID-19 was announced as well - a man in his 50s in the Southern Health-Sante Sud district.

Despite the high numbers, northern Manitoba reported 17 new cases - a relatively low number but still high by recent standards. Three new cases were announced in the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage/Sherridon district, which now has 18 active COVID-19 cases - more than the active case count in The Pas, Thompson, Norway House and most northern districts. Only three northern Manitoba districts - Island Lake (138 active), Cross Lake/Pimicikamak (45 active) and Bunibonibee/Oxford House/Manto Sipi/Gods River/Gods Lake (26 active) have more active cases than the Flin Flon district.

A total of 282 people within northern Manitoba, according to most recent health data, have active COVID-19 cases.

Another 390 cases have been sequenced as variant of concern cases. In total, 3,393 Manitobans have been infected with a COVID-19 variant of concern, including 74 people in the Northern Health Region (NHR). Out of the northern variant cases, 64 have been sequenced as the B.1.1.7 variant, with the remaining 10 marked as an unspecified variant.

No new possible public exposures to COVID-19 or variants of concern were announced by the province May 7. No new outbreaks were announced in northern communities.

Further restrictions are likely to be announced Friday evening at 6 p.m. by Manitoba chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin.