Seven new northern cases and some new recoveries in the north led off Manitoba's Oct. 25 COVID-19 briefing.
The province reported 161 total new cases and four deaths throughout Manitoba, seven of which were in the Northern Health Region (NHR). The region now has 61 active cases of COVID-19, up three from the 58 cases reported Oct. 24.
Five of the new cases have been reported in The Pas/OCN/Kelsey health district, which now is the epicentre of northern COVID-19 cases - more people have been infected in the district than any other NHR district. Twenty people currently have COVID-19 in the district according to provincial data.
There is one silver lining to be found in the north - one person who tested positive in the Flin Flon/Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage/Sherridon district who tested positive last week is now considered to have recovered. Two people, both Snow Lake-based Hudbay employees, were initially diagnosed as positive. Only one active case is still active in the district.
Two people who had COVID-19 in the Thompson/Mystery Lake district have recovered. Fifteen people in the district have active cases of the disease. Six people have COVID-19 in the Cross Lake/Pimicikamak district, with another four cases in the NHR listed as "unknown district". Island Lake, Lynn Lake/Marcel Colomb/Leaf Rapids/O-Pipon-Na-Piwin/Granville Lake and Nelson House/Nisichawaysihk districts each have three active cases.
The province announced a possible exposure in Norway House Oct. 20 - a person who attended a funeral in the community has since tested positive for COVID-19. The Oct. 25 COVID-19 briefing stated the person was not showing symptoms during the funeral, but was in an infectious period for the disease. Any attendees of the funeral are asked to self-monitor for symptoms and to isolate and present for testing if symptoms arise.
Northern Manitoba will move into "orange" on the provincial pandemic response system Monday, with several new restrictions in affect for the region. These include new rules for in-school classes, a limit on public gatherings of five people and mandatory mask use in all public spaces.
