84 new northern Man. COVID-19 cases Friday, far north east Sask. down to nine active cases

Northern Manitoba reported its highest number of COVID-19 cases in almost a month Friday, and while cases are soaring in Saskatchewan, they're improving in the north.

The large number was part of a high tide of new cases throughout Manitoba announced April 9, where 176 new COVID-19 cases were found province-wide - the majority of which came from northern communities.

Earlier this week, the region saw a data correction drastically reduce the number of cases in the region, removing another backlog of cases that had not yet been designated as recovered. That was tempered by the increase Friday, which puts the NHR at 596 active COVID-19 cases and at a total of 6,295 cases since the pandemic began.

Three deaths from COVID-19 were reported province-wide, including one new death in the NHR - a man in his 20s from the Cross Lake-Pimicikamak district who had tested positive for COVID-19 has died. Since the pandemic began, a total of 41 people have died in northern Manitoba due to COVID-19.

Four northern health districts reported a double digit amount of new cases. Out of the new cases, 42 of the cases were reported in the Island Lake district, located in far eastern Manitoba near the Ontario border. A total of 13 were found in the Grand Rapids/Misipawistik/Moose Lake/Mosakahiken/Easterville/Chemawawin district, with 11 new cases in Thompson/Mystery Lake and 10 in the Bunibonibee/Oxford House/Manto Sipi/Gods River/Gods Lake district.

In the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage/Sherridon district, two new cases were added to provincial rolls, bringing the district up to 13 active cases. 

Four northern districts - the Bay Line, Gillam/Fox Lake and Nelson House/Nisichawayasihk districts within the NHR, as well as the Churchill district covered by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority - currently have no active cases of COVID-19. 

No new possible public exposures or outbreaks were announced in northern Manitoba April 9.

In addition to the 179 new COVID-19 cases reported in Manitoba, 37 previously announced cases have been confirmed to be variants of concern cases, spread out throughout four of the province's five health regions. Twenty-eight cases were found in Winnipeg, with the rest in southern districts. No variant of concern cases have yet been confirmed in the NHR as of April 9.

Saskatchewan is taking a giant step backwards in terms of cases, announcing a whopping 358 new cases of COVID-19 April 9 to go with six new deaths, ranging from a person in their 40s in Regina to people in their 70s and older. None of the new cases were reported in the far north east, including no new cases in the far north east 2 zone, the health zone that covers Creighton, Denare Beach, Pelican Narrows and other communities near Flin Flon in Saskatchewan.

The number of active cases in the far north east 2 has dropped into single digits - the zone now has only nine remaining COVID-19 cases according to provincial statistics. Of those cases, according to the Angelique Canada Health Centre in Pelican Narrows, six cases are remaining in Pelican Narrows - the community has been under an outbreak advisory since November, but is now at one of its lowest case levels since the disease first appeared.

Four variant of concern cases have been found by screening in the far north east health zone - their exact locations are unknown.