Northern COVID-19 cases staying pat, Flin Flon district maintains four active cases

COVID-19 cases in Manitoba are beginning to drop. While new cases continue to be found in the north, the region's number of active cases is staying pat as recoveries from the disease rise.

Within northern Manitoba, active cases saw a slight increase, going from 442 total Monday to 449 Tuesday. A total of 23 new cases were reported in the region Tuesday, but recoveries throughout the region cut the number of net new cases to just seven. The district with the most cases is the Island Lake district, which now has 121 active cases of COVID-19, followed by The Pas/OCN/Kelsey (106 cases) and Shamattawa/York Factory/Tataskweyak/Split Lake (101 cases). 

All other northern Manitoba districts have 25 active cases or fewer, including the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage/Sherridon district, where four active cases still remain. One new case has been reported in the district, along with one new recovery, keeping the active case number the same as it was Monday.

Province-wide, 13 more people with COVID-19 have died in Manitoba, all of whom were in southern communities. Out of the 13 cases, 11 were linked to outbreaks at health facilities or seniors' homes. Manitoba reported 245 new COVID-19 cases province wide. Active cases numbers have dropped to 5,379 province-wide, with 311 people with COVID-19 in hospital and 38 active cases in intensive care - both of those numbers are down from last week.

Two new possible exposures to COVID-19 were announced for northern Manitoba Tuesday. One is at the Shamattawa Northern Store, where two people who later tested positive for COVID-19 were from Nov. 26-Dec. 1 during a period where they may have been infectious. The other possible exposure was at the Sapotaweyak Health Centre at Sapotaweyak Cree Nation near Mafeking, where two people who later tested positive were possibly infectious at the facility from Nov. 23-25. All people who attended these areas during those times are advised to self-monitor for symptoms and, if needed, isolate and pursue testing.

Churchill-Keewatinook Aski MP Niki Ashton, who covers all northern Manitoba including Flin Flon, voiced concern Tuesday over the situation in Shamattawa. Ashton said the community has reported 264 cases and despite seeking assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces, no Forces members have arrived in the community.  Data from the provincial government currently shows 101 active positive cases and 118 total cases, including recoveries in the region.

"This is matter of life and death for a community that already faces a spread of tuberculosis, high rates of diabetes, overcrowded housing, and isolation. This is a community that has virtually no health resources to deal with one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Canada," Ashton said.

"Time is of the essence. The federal government must immediately pull out all the stops to save the lives of the people of Shamattawa."

Saskatchewan

Manitoba's western neighbour reported six more deaths from COVID-19, along with 183 new cases of the disease. The far north east 2 health zone, which contains Pelican Narrows, Sandy Bay, Creighton, Denare Beach and other area communities, reported six new active cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, climbing up to 129 active cases. One outbreak is active in the district, proclaimed in Pelican Narrows, where 90 cases were active as of Monday evening.