Take Manitoba's worst day for COVID-19 and double it - you'd still be left with a number of new cases lower than what the province announced Friday.
The province announced a staggering 480 new cases of COVID-19 province-wide, including 25 new northern cases, leading to restrictions across the province and a "red" level for Winnipeg.
The numbers include a backlog of cases from earlier this week that had not been previously announced by the government - two from Oct. 25, four from Oct. 26, 44 from Oct. 27, 193 from Oct. 28 and 237 from Oct. 29.
For northern Manitoba, the new numbers represent a new daily high for COVID-19 cases in the region. Fifteen of the new cases were reported in The Pas/OCN/Kelsey district, which now has 43 active cases. Five people in the Thompson/Mystery Lake district have also tested positive. Two new cases were reported in the Cross Lake/Pimickamak district, while one new case was reported in the Nelson House/Nisichawaysihk and Norway House districts, as well as one case marked as "unknown district."
No new cases were reported in the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage/Sherridon health district. Two people in the district have active cases of COVID-19, while two others have had the disease and have since recovered.
Eight northerners are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. One hundred and four people in Manitoba are in hospital with COVID-19, with 19 people in intensive care. Over the past five days, 8.6 per cent of Manitobans tested for COVID-19 have tested positive. There are 2,737 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 2,134 of those in Winnipeg.
Three new deaths from COVID-19 have been announced, each connected to the outbreak at the Parkview Place seniors' residence - a man in his 80s, a woman in her 80s and a woman in her 90s. Sixty-five Manitobans have now died from COVID-19.
Each of Manitoba's five health regions reported a double-digit uptick in new cases Friday. New outbreaks have been reported at the Deer Lodge Centre long-term care unit and Pembina Place personal care home in Winnipeg, as well as at Centre Scolaire Leo-Remillard, a Winnipeg-area French immersion school where 14 people have tested positive.
To combat increased spread of COVID-19, the province is moving most regions of Manitoba into new levels on the provincial pandemic response system. All regions not otherwise considered "orange" - the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority, 麻豆传媒AVern Health-Sante Sud and Prairie Mountain Health - have been moved to that level. Winnipeg and some surrounding communities have been moved into the "red" designation.
Only one region in Manitoba - the Northern Health Region - will see no changes, as the region is already designated as "orange".
Winnipeg's rules and restrictions will be the tightest of all Manitoba regions. All bars and restaurants will be closed, except for take-out and delivery services, while sports and recreation programs will be suspended. Most retail locations will be capped at 25 per cent capacity and gyms and fitness facilities will also be capped at 25 per cent - masks will be mandatory at all gyms, including while people exercise.
Movie theatres and concert halls in Winnipeg will be closed and non-urgent and elective surgeries will be suspended. Personal services will stay at 50 per cent capacity maximum. Visitation has been suspended at all hospitals, with exceptions made for some cases including end-of-life care, labour and delivery and pediatrics.
All faith-based gatherings in Winnipeg, including churches, mosques and synagogues, will be limited to either 100 people or 15 per cent capacity - whichever is smaller.
Masks will still be mandatory in all public settings in Winnipeg. Workplaces and offices in Winnipeg have been advised to have staff work from home as often as possible and for all residents reporting possible COVID-19 symptoms to stay home.
鈥淭he incubation period for this virus is up to 14 days 鈥� if we limit our contacts and stay home, we could see drastic reductions in transmission within weeks,鈥� said Manitoba chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin in an Oct. 30 press release.聽
鈥淲e have done this before and I am confident we can do it again. But we need to be serious about this if we want to bend the curve.鈥�
Elsewhere, Manitobans will be subject to restrictions similar to those already in effect in northern Manitoba - 50 per cent capacity in restaurants and bars, public and private group gathering sizes limited to five, retail stores limited to 50 per cent capacity, blended learning for high school students and remote learning available for K-8 students. Mask use will continue to be mandatory in public settings and sports and recreation facilities will be capped at 25 per cent capacity.
The changes will go into effect as of 12:01 a.m. Nov. 2. No announcements have yet been made by the province for possible support for businesses and groups affected by the shutdown.
