2 new deaths, 135 new COVID-19 cases over last 2 days in Manitoba

There are twomore deaths and 135 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Manitoba, health officials announced.

Those numbers include cases confirmed by tests on Sunday, as well as Saturday, which weren't announced because of the Easter holiday.

Manitoba's test-positivity rate jumped to 5.1per cent from 4.4 per cent on Saturday. The rate in Winnipeg increased to 4.3 per cent, up from 4 per cent.

The deaths announced Monday include a woman in her 60s from the Prairie Mountain Health region and a woman in her 70s from the Winnipeg health region. A total of 940 people have died from COVID-19 in Manitoba to date.

The bulk of the new cases (63) are in the Winnipeg Health region, while the rest are in the Northern Health region (43), Prairie Mountain Healthregion (19), Southern Health region (seven), and Interlake-Eastern Health region (three).

The total number of people in hospital due to COVID-19 dropped slightly to 141, down from 142 on Saturday. That includes 66 active cases, as well as 75 people who are no longer considered infectious.

There are 29people in intensive care units.including 13 with active COVID-19, and 16 people who have passed the infectious period.

The number of confirmed cases of more infectious coronavirus variants has remained unchanged since April 1, when the province reported a total of 270 confirmed cases including 235 cases of the B117 variant first detectedin the United Kingdom, and 20 cases of the B1315 variant first detected in South Africa.

An outbreak at River East Personal Care Home has been declared over.

The province also announced a new COVID-19 testing site atMa Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, 445 King St. in Winnipeg, will open on Tuesday. The site will offer testing for people experiencing symptoms, as well as those who need a test to travel to a northern community. Walk-ins and appointments will be accepted, and the site is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

There are currently 1,280 cases listed as active in Manitoba, and a total of34,487confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.