Hospitalizations stay over 100 in latest weekly Manitoba COVID-19 surveillance report

Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Manitoba decreased slightly in the latest Manitoba Health surveillance report, but ICU admissions are up slightly from the previous week.

From Oct. 30to Nov. 5, 110people were hospitalized with COVID-19, down from 116the previous week, says the province'slatest weekly surveillance report, releasedThursday.

Eight more people were admitted to intensive care units, up from sevenICU admissions the previous week.

The number of COVID-related deaths in Manitoba since the beginning of the pandemic in now 2,256, up 24 from the previous week's report.

There were 341lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba during the most recent reporting week, but that number is likely a significant undercountof the true number of infections, due to limited access to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. That's the only type of test result recorded by Manitoba Public Health.

A daily average of 320 PCR tests were done and the weekly test positivity rate went down to25 per cent from 28.7 per cent.

Wastewaterdata gathered by the federal governmentshows a dip inviral load attwo of the three Winnipeg treatment plants, which were last tested on Nov. 3.

The West End treatment plant shows an increase, while the North End and South End plants show a decrease.

The viral load in Brandon wastewater also increasedslightly in the test on Nov. 3.

The province's next COVID-19 surveillance report is scheduled for Nov. 17.