Manitoba reports first case of Omicron COVID-19 variant

Manitoba health officials are reporting the province’s first laboratory-confirmed case of the Omicron variant COVID-19.

The infected person recently returned to Manitoba from one of 14 countries where federal officials have enacted stricter rules for travelers, the province said in a statement Tuesday.

The person was experiencing mild symptoms, and provincial officials said public health was conducting “active case and contact management”.

The province did not say where the person in Manitoba was from and did not release any further information about their age or gender.

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“If additional public health risks are assessed and it is deemed necessary to protect the health of others, more information will be published,” the province said in a statement. .

Meanwhile, health officials say four other people infected with COVID-19 have died and another 93 cases of infection have been identified across the province.

The latest pandemic data posted on the province’s website Tuesday shows there are now 1,565 active COVID-19 cases in Manitoba and the province’s five-day test positive rate is 6.4% .

The website shows Manitoba’s COVID-19 death toll is now 1,338.

More information on the latest victims is expected in the province’s next COVID-19 media release on Wednesday.

The Southern Health Region saw the largest single-day increase in new cases, with 38 infections reported Tuesday.

Another 34 cases were reported in the Winnipeg Health region, 4 were found in the Prairie Mountain Health region, 11 were reported in the Northern Health region, and 6 were found in the Interlake-Eastern Health region.

Health data shows that the latest 48 infections in Manitoba are among the unvaccinated, five are partially vaccinated and 40 are fully vaccinated.

The province said 2,516 laboratory tests for COVID-19 were completed in Manitoba on Monday.

There are currently 152 Manitobans hospitalized with COVID-19 and 32 patients in the ICU with the virus.

The province announced 137 new cases and one death on Monday.

As of March 2020, Manitoba has now reported 68,938 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases. Of those, 66,035 have recovered, according to medical data.

Have a question about COVID-19? Here are a few things you need to know:

Symptoms can include fever, cough and shortness of breath – very similar to a cold or flu. Some people may develop more severe disease. Those most at risk for this condition include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions such as heart, lung, or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend washing your hands often and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying at home as much as possible, and maintaining a two-meter distance from others if you are out. In situations where you cannot keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of non-medical masks or face coverings to prevent the spread of respiratory droplets. can carry the virus. In some provinces and cities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.

For the full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, visit our coronavirus page.