2 new cases of COVID-19 found at workplace in Prairie Mountain Health region
Now total of 7 people with COVID-19 in southwestern Manitoba outbreak
Two more people at a business in Manitoba's Prairie Mountain Health region have tested positive for COVID-19.
That means seven people at that workplace have the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Health officials first announced the outbreak on Tuesday, when five were diagnosed.
The workplace is not a health-care facility nor a food supply company, and doesn't have significant interaction with the public, Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin said.
Roussin would not name the company, citing privacy.
Most of the contact-tracing investigation into the cases at the workplace is already complete, he said, though he would not say how large the business is or how many people associated with it are being tested for COVID-19.
If public health officials believe there is an increased risk to the public, they will release more information about the outbreak, he said.
Roussin did not rule out the chance that there could be more cases identified at the workplace, as contact tracing for the two new patients continues.
WATCH | Dr. Brent Roussin talks about southwestern Manitoba COVID-19 outbreak:
"It's certainly possible," he said. "We're still in the incubation period for many of the contacts."
The two additional cases at the southwestern Manitoba workplace were the only new cases announced on Wednesday. The update brings the total number of cases detected in the province to 284.
While the number of new COVID-19 cases in Manitoba remains low, people still need to keep working to slow the spread of the virus — even if their health region hasn't had any new cases in weeks, Roussin said.
"That shouldn't change people's behaviour," he said.
"No matter where you are in the province, I would not let up on the idea of physical distancing, I would not let up on the idea of washing your hands frequently, and I certainly wouldn't let up on the idea of staying home when you're ill."
There are five people in hospital in Manitoba with COVID-19 as of Wednesday; none are in intensive care.
Although Manitoba has started to ease some of the restrictions in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, Roussin said even with Mother's Day coming up this weekend, he still doesn't recommend going to large family gatherings anytime soon.
"We're not done with the virus, and we're not back to normal," he said.
If you do spend time with family members you don't live with, it should be in groups of no more than 10 people, he said. Physical distancing and seeing each other outside instead of inside will also help mitigate the risk of spreading the virus.
Roussin said Manitobans should also be cautious when thinking about spending time with people who have compromised immune systems or other underlying health conditions, because they are at greater risk of having serious complications if they contract COVID-19.
Health officials said 546 health-care staff and first responders were tested for COVID-19 from April 29 to May 5. All those tests came back negative.
Since Manitoba's first cases of the illness were identified in March, 25 health-care workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in cases that were not related to travel. Of those, 23 have recovered and returned to work.
There are 35 active cases of the illness in Manitoba, and 242 people have recovered.
The number of people in the province who have died after being diagnosed with COVID-19 is still seven.
WATCH | Full news conference on COVID-19 | May 6, 2020:
