小蓝视频

Manitoba's COVID-19 news Thursday was, as always, a mixed bag. Today, it was good news provincially, same old-same old for Flin Flon and bad news for several remote northern communities.

Active cases in the north continue to rise, due in large part to two - possibly three - areas of community spread in remote northeastern Manitoba. Fifty-one new cases were reported in northern Manitoba Dec. 17 - when factoring in the number of reported recoveries, the region saw 39 more active cases.

The regions with the highest amount of growth were the听Bunibonibee/Oxford House/Manto Sipi/Gods River/Gods Lake and the Island Lake district. In the Bunibonibee district, 23 more active cases were reported Thursday, bringing the district up to 102 active cases. Island Lake - where most cases are tied to the community of Red Sucker Lake - now has 193 active cases and counting, reporting 20 new cases and a net increase of 14 cases.

The district with the most cases continues to be the听Shamattawa/York Factory/Tataskweyak/Split Lake district, where cases are staying in the mid-200s. The district now has 256 active cases, most of which are centred around Shamattawa First Nation. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces, including medical staff, have been working in the community.

In Flin Flon, two cases remain active in the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage/Sherridon district. Throughout the district, 35 people have tested positive for COVID-19, according to provincial statistics. Of those 35, 32 people have recovered - one person has died.

The Thompson/Mystery Lake district also saw a sudden jump in positive cases, going from 45 Wednesday to 52 Thursday..

No new outbreaks or possible public exposures were announced in the region by the provincial government.

Manitoba reported 221 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday. That number of cases is the lowest number of cases in one day reported in Manitoba since Nov. 2, when 197 cases were announced.

Throughout Manitoba, 14 more people who had tested positive for COVID-19 have died, all of whom were in southern Manitoba communities. There are currently 5,829 active cases throughout the province, including 314 people who are currently hospitalized and 42 people in intensive care. Since the pandemic began, 537 Manitobans have died from the disease,

Manitoba chief nursing office Lanette Siragusa said Thursday that of the 384 people in hospital, 314 are still potentially infectious - another 70 are now longer deemed infectious, but are still fighting complications from the disease. Thirty people are on ventilators due to COVID-19. Manitoba's intensive care units are running well above normal capacity - Manitoba's ICUs are now at 158 per cent of the province's pre-pandemic capacity.

Saskatchewan

Manitoba's western neighbour outdid the province on the new case front - Saskatchewan reported 238 new cases spread out across the province, including 15 new cases in the far north east health zone. There are now 211 active cases in the far north east district.

Out of those cases, 115 are in the far north east 2 health zone, which includes Creighton, Denare Beach, Pelican Narrows, Sandy Bay and other nearby communities. Exact locations of the cases are not released or confirmed by provincial authorities - the Angelique Canada Health Centre in Pelican Narrows stated Dec. 16 that the community had 53 active COVID-19 cases and a trio of isolation trailers - places where people living in crowded homes or areas where they cannot safely self-isolate can do so - were on their way north.

Seven Saskatchewan residents were reported to have died from COVID-19 Dec. 17, with six in southern communities. One person in their 60s was reported to have died in the north central zone, which includes Prince Albert.

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