Public health officials advise one additional probable case of COVID-19 has been identified, bringing the total number of lab-confirmed positive and probable positive cases in Manitoba to 36 at this time.

Case information includes case 37 is a man in his 20s who lives in Winnipeg.

Public health investigations are underway to determine additional details and to confirm the possible exposure of this case. Information about flights where a person with a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 had symptoms at the time of travel is updated as information becomes available at gov.mb.ca.

Public health officials advise that case numbers and the total number of cases are different because one case was retested and was found to be negative.

Cadham Provincial Laboratory performed 734 tests on Wednesday, March 25, up from the day before when 352 tests were completed. As of March 25, a total of 5,606 tests have been performed.

Public health officials are expanding testing criteria to include the following groups of people at risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19 and are showing respiratory symptoms:

  • Health-care workers; and
  • individuals who live/work in a remote or isolated community or a group setting, such as a correctional facility, shelter, long- term care or residential facility, or a remote work camp.

Symptomatic travelers outside of Manitoba, close contacts of a confirmed case, and lab workers who have worked with COVID-19 tests will continue to be tested.

Public health officials are strongly advising all Manitobans, including health-care providers, to cancel or postpone any non-essential travel. This includes international travel and travel within Canada. There should be no recreational, tourist or non-essential personal travel. In addition, public health officials recommended that effective March 23, anyone who returns from international or domestic travel should self-isolate and self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days following their return.

This recommendation does not include:

  • the commercial transportation of goods and services;
  • workers who live in a neighbouring jurisdiction and travel to Manitoba for work;
  • health-care workers who travel to work from outside the province; and
  • normal personal travel in border communities including visits to a cottage.

Any person concerned about their exposure to or risk of having COVID-19 should call Health Links-Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or (toll-free) at 1-888-315-9257 to be screened to see if a test is required.

Additional community test sites will officially open Friday March 27 including drive-thru sites in Eriksdale at the Eriksdale Wellness Centre, 35 Railway Ave., from 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday and Portage la Prairie at the Stride Centre, 245 Royal Rd., from 9am to 3pm daily. Community testing sites will be opening Saturday in Dauphin and Monday in Pine Falls. More details, including the hours of service, will be released in the coming days. The community testing site in The Pas will relocate to the Royal Canadian Legion at 4 Veterans Way tomorrow and will continue to be open Monday to Friday, from 9am to 4pm. This will bring the total to 16 community testing sites including seven drive-thru locations. The public is reminded that a referral to these sites is needed and they are not walk-in clinics. Information on locations and hours of operation are available at gov.mb.ca.

For more information and to access the online screening tool for COVID-19, visit manitoba.ca.