14 new northern cases, 374 cases in Manitoba, possible exposure at OCN funeral, Keeyask locks down

Manitoba's COVID-19 totals remain high. The province reported 374 new cases Wednesday, including 14 new cases in the north.

There are 164 people who have active cases of COVID-19 in the region. Only one is now active in the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage/Sherridon - the district has reported one person who had COVID-19 in the Snow Lake area has now recovered. Only one person is still sick with COVID-19 in the district.

Other northern regions aren't so lucky. The Pas/OCN/Kelsey has reported 100 cases of COVID-19, with 76 cases still active. Cross Lake/Pimicikamak now has 35 active COVID-19 cases, while 20 cases are marked as "unknown district" cases. The Thompson/Mystery Lake district has 13 active cases of COVID-19. All other districts have five cases or fewer.

Another possible exposure has been announced, this time in Opaskwayak Cree Nation. A person who attended a funeral in OCN Oct. 24 has tested positive and may have been infectious when they attended the funeral. Any attendees of the funeral are asked to monitor for symptoms and self-isolate and present for testing if symptoms arise. It is the fourth time a funeral in northern Manitoba has been marked as a possible exposure site - an Oct. 18 funeral in Cross Lake, a funeral in Norway House Oct. 20 and a fourth funeral at Lake St. Martin First Nation Oct. 12 were all attended by people who later tested positive.

The Keeyask generating station has been moved to "red" on the provincial pandemic response system following reports of several positive tests. While Manitoba Hydro has confirmed 20 workers at the site have tested positive, regional First Nations authorities have said as many as 31 people have tested positive at the dam site.

Within the province as a whole, two more deaths have been reported - both women, one in her 80s and one in her 90s, both tied to existing outbreaks at the Maples personal care home and at St. Boniface Hospital. In the past five days, 8.5 per cent of people who have been tested for COVID-19 have tested positive. Out of the 374 new cases announced Wednesday, 276 cases are in the Winnipeg region.

There are now 3,772 active cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba, 140 people in hospital and 21 people in intensive care. COVID-19 has killed 87 Manitobans so far.