13 new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba as outbreaks at 2 Winnipeg care homes reported

Manitoba is reporting 13 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.

However, a case previously identified on Aug. 30 was removed from the total, the province said in a news release, afterit was determined to be from out of province. That brings the total net new cases for Wednesday to 12, and the total number oflab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 1,244.

There are now 454 active cases in the province, and 776 people have recovered from the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

There are 14 people in hospital with COVID-19 matching Tuesday's total, the highest daily number of hospitalizations the province has had. The previous high was 12 hospitalizations in April.

One person was in intensive care with the illness as of Wednesday. The number of COVID-19-related deaths in Manitoba remains at 14.

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 1.8 per cent.

Of the new cases, eight are in the Prairie Mountain Health region, four are in Winnipeg, and one is in the Southern Health region, the release says.

The province is also reporting that two personal care homes in Winnipeg have initiated outbreak protocols after health-care workers tested positive for COVID-19.

The Beacon Hill Lodge long-term care home, in downtown Winnipeg, has declared an outbreak after a worker there tested positive.

The worker is at home in isolation, according to a statement Wednesday from the chief medical officer forRevera, the company that operates Beacon Hill Lodge.

Along withother safety precautions, "residents are being isolated on their floors and staff are being cohorted to work on dedicated floors," said Dr. Rhonda Collins.

All residents are being monitored closely for symptoms, and staff are screened at the beginning and end of their shifts, Collins added.

On Tuesday, CBCNews learned that management of theFred Douglas Lodge personal care home in Winnipeg reported a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.

In a letter to family members of residents that day, CEO Roslyn Garofalosaid no other staff or residents are presenting symptoms,and management is working to control the spread of the virus.

Although only one case has been announced in each location, the province said Wednesday it's treating both as an outbreak.Both facilities have moved to the red, or critical,levelon the province's colour-coded pandemic response system.

City of Winnipeg employee tests positive

On Wednesday afternoon, theCity of Winnipeg announced an employee in itspublic works departmenthas tested positive for COVID-19.

The worker typicallyworks in areas where the public does not have access, andthey donot have a "public-facing job," a news release from the city said

The person isself-isolating, but the city would not provide more details about the individual, citing privacy reasons.

Possible close contactswere sent home, and instructed to get tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate, the city said.

Enhanced cleaning protocols have also been implemented in order to disinfect areas and equipment the employee used.

Potential exposures in western Manitoba

Public health officials are also warning of two potential public exposures toCOVID-19 in or near Riding Mountain National Parklate last month.

The first was Aug. 21-23 at the Canoe Taphouse at 130 WasagamingDr.in Wasagaming, the townsite inthe western Manitoba park. The province's websitesays possible exposures may have occurred on:

• Aug. 21 from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Aug. 23 from noon to 8 p.m.

The other was Aug. 21 and 22 at the Buffalo Bar and Ten Restaurant at the Elkhorn Resort Spa and Conference Centre in Onanole.Possible exposures there may have occurred on:

• Aug. 21 from 9 p.m. to midnight.
• Aug. 22 from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

People who may have been exposed are advised to self-monitor for symptoms and immediately self-isolate if symptoms develop.

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