Northern Health Region hits 1,000 active case mark, Flin Flon district drops to one active case left

The Flin Flon health district is now down to one active COVID-19 case, but other northern communities are not nearly as lucky.

The province announced 201 net new cases throughout Manitoba Jan. 7, 60 of which were located in northern Manitoba. Provincial health officials also announced 12 more deaths in the province, including one death in the north - reported as a man in his 30s from the Shamattawa/York Factory/Tataskweyak/Split Lake district.

Out of the new cases reported, the most cases in one district were found in the Cross Lake/Pimickamak district, where 22 new cases were reported Thursday. Another nine cases were found in the Island Lake district - likely tied to the ongoing community spread in Red Sucker Lake. Four new cases were found in the Thompson/Mystery Lake district. 

Not all the news on new cases is bad. Five northern districts, including the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage/Sherridon district, saw their active cases numbers drop. The Bunibonibee/Oxford House/Manto Sipi/Gods River/Gods Lake district saw the biggest drop, going to 171 active cases from 176 Wednesday.  The Pas/OCN/Kelsey also saw a modest decline, with three more previously active cases now reported as recovered. Three other districts saw cases decline by one case each.

There are now 1,016 people with active cases of COVID-19 in the north. Since the pandemic began, 2,281 people in the Northern Health Region - over three per cent of people in the region - have tested positive for COVID-19.

Province-wide, Manitoba has 4,506 active COVID-19 cases and a five-day test positivity rate of 9.9 per cent. There are 319 Manitobans in hospital due to COVID-19, including 228 people with active cases and 35 people in intensive care.

Seven hundred and seventeen Manitobans have died due to COVID-19.

Saskatchewan

Another 334 cases were reported in Saskatchewan Thursday, along with three deaths, all in southern communities.

The case numbers include 24 new cases in the far north east health zone, bringing the region - which contains La Ronge, Creighton, Pelican Narrows and other communities in the general area - up to 343 total active cases. Eight of those new cases are in the far north east 2 health zone, which includes Creighton, Denare Beach, Pelican Narrows, Sandy Bay and other communities - there are 55 active cases in the zone. Most of the active cases in the region are in and around the La Ronge area and the surrounding far north east 1 health zone - 288 people in the district have active cases of the disease there.

Most recent statistics available show the Pelican Narrows area currently has 14 active cases, according to the community's Angelique Canada Health Centre Jan. 6. Statistics for other communities in the area are not publicly available.