Today’s five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 14.8 per cent provincially. As of 9:30am on February 23, 2022, 369 new cases of the virus have been identified. The province estimates that actual case numbers are eight to 10 times higher than reported due to the rapid spread of the omicron variant, which has led to many cases going unreported.

Information about COVID-19 in Manitoba is updated weekdays at 12:30 p.m. on these DataMB dashboards:

Public health highlights the following COVID-19 data trends for the week ending Feb. 17. People who are not fully vaccinated are four times as likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, seven times as likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit and eight times as likely to die with COVID-19. Case and risk by vaccination status data is updated each Wednesday at geoportal.gov.mb.ca.

Manitoba continues to report on the recorded number of COVID-19 cases. However, it is important to note this data is limited and should be used with caution. It includes cases confirmed by a PCR test as well as rapid tests given by health-care professionals. Positive test results from rapid antigen tests, which people generally do at home, are not collected or reported. As a result, these numbers are an under-reporting of COVID-19 in the community.

Key Updates

  • Rapid antigen tests will continue to be used for the majority of people visiting a provincial testing site. Those who are at higher risk of severe illness as well as some groups who have tested positive on a rapid antigen test will still be eligible for PCR testing. Detailed information on updated COVID-19 testing eligibility can be found at gov.mb.ca.

Deaths

Public health officials advise 14 new deaths in people with COVID-19 are being reported today:

  • a male in his 40s from the Winnipeg health region (reported Saturday);
  • a male in his 60s from the Winnipeg health region (reported Saturday);
  • a male in his 80s from Southern Health-Santé Sud (reported Saturday);
  • a female in her 70s from Interlake-Eastern health region (reported Sunday);
  • a male in his 90s from Prairie Mountain Health (reported Sunday);
  • a male in his 70s from the Winnipeg health region (reported Sunday);
  • a female in her 50s from Prairie Mountain Health (reported Sunday);
  • a female in her 80s from Interlake-Eastern health region and linked to the outbreak at Rosewood Lodge (reported Sunday);
  • a male in his 80s from Prairie Mountain Health (reported Sunday);
  • a male in his 90s from Southern Health-Santé Sud (reported Monday);
  • a female in her 80s from Southern Health-Santé Sud (reported Monday);
  • a female in her 70s from Interlake-Eastern health region (reported Wednesday);
  • a female in her 60s from Southern Health-Santé Sud (reported Wednesday); and
  • a male in his 70s from the Northern health region (reported Wednesday).

Outbreaks

Outbreaks have been declared at:

  • Misericordia Health Centre, TCU-C5, Winnipeg.

Outbreaks have been declared over at:

  • St. Boniface Hospital, unit E4GM, Winnipeg;
  • Health Sciences Centre, GB3, Winnipeg;
  • Golden Door Geriatric Centre, Winnipeg;
  • Tudor House personal care home, Selkirk;
  • Red River Place personal care home, Selkirk;
  • Betel Home personal care home, Selkirk;
  • Deloraine Health Centre, Deloraine; and
  • Russell Health Centre, Russell.

Enforcement

The Manitoba government is also providing an update on ongoing enforcement efforts to protect Manitobans from the spread of COVID-19. A total of 1,564 inspections occurred, which resulted in nine warnings and six tickets issued for the week of Feb. 14 to 20 including:

  • two $1,296 tickets to individuals;
  • three $298 tickets to individuals for failure to wear a mask in an indoor public place; and
  • one $5,000 ticket to a business.

Manitobans are urged to continue reporting compliance and enforcement issues by visiting www.manitoba.ca/COVID19 and completing the reporting form, or by calling 204-945-3744 or (toll-free) 1-866-626-4862 and pressing option three on the call menu. Updated enforcement statistics are posted online weekly at manitoba.ca.

Tickets issued by health region include:

  • zero tickets in Interlake-Eastern (zero per cent);
  • one ticket in Northern (17 per cent);
  • zero tickets in Prairie Mountain Health (zero per cent);
  • one ticket in Southern Health-Santé Sud (17 per cent); and
  • four tickets in Winnipeg (67 per cent).

Vaccine

Manitobans who have been infected with COVID-19 are now recommended to wait two to three months after the infection before getting a booster dose. This recommendation follows the latest guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Manitobans are advised not to assume that recovery from an infection is sufficient for immunity. Those who prefer to get their booster dose sooner, or if their primary care provider recommends a booster sooner, can go ahead and schedule a booster dose appointment.

As of today, a total of 73,757 first doses have been given to children ages five to 11, or 59 per cent of that age group.

Eligible individuals can book their appointments online, by calling (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC) or by contacting their local pharmacy or medical clinic directly. Visit gov.mb.ca for some of the available options.

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