Flin Flon at one active case, Pukatawagan region now clear, outbreaks found in Thompson, Cross Lake

COVID-19 cases in northern Manitoba are staying on recent trends - which for the Flin Flon district, is good news.

In total, northern Manitoba reported 93 new cases for Feb. 15-16, averaging out to 46 and a half cases - right around the region's recent averages.

Most of the new cases found in the north were located in the Cross Lake/Pimicikamak and Thompson/Mystery Lake districts. For the third time during the pandemic, a community outbreak has been declared in Cross Lake and Pimicikamak Cree Nation - the area is now up to 119 active COVID-19 cases, with 57 new cases added just in the last two days.

The Thompson region reported 25 new cases between the two days, with the district now sitting at 84 active cases. Thompson has reported the second-highest number of COVID-19 cases of any northern region during the pandemic, with 734 people from the beginning to present day testing positive.

Island Lake, the region with the most reported and active cases as of Tuesday, now has 384 active cases. Nine more people in the remote district tested positive, but 12 others who had tested positive were now marked as "recovered".

All other northern regions had their case counts unchanged or reported only one positive case. The Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage/Sherridon district is back down to one active case, while the Pukatawagan/Mathias Colomb district has the distinction of being the only district in the Northern Health Region (NHR) without a single active COVID-19 case. More information on northern COVID-19 cases can be found below.

Province-wide, four new deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in Manitoba Feb. 16, covering the past two days. All four deaths were reported in Winnipeg. Another 166 people tested positive in those two days, putting the province's active case load at 1,625 as of Tuesday. There are 230 people in hospital due to COVID-19, with 26 of those people in intensive care. No further outbreaks or public exposures have been announced in northern Manitoba.

Saskatchewan reported 136 cases Tuesday, on top of 143 cases from Monday. Ten of those cases were reported in the far north east health zone, with two of those cases in the far north east 2 health zone. There are now 19 active cases in the health zone containing Creighton, Denare Beach, Pelican Narrows, Sandy Bay and other communities near Flin Flon.

The province has also confirmed that current public health measures in Saskatchewan will be extended until March 19.