WINNIPEG — Manitoba health officials say all presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 have now been laboratory-confirmed.
The fourth case of the coronavirus was announced late Friday, while three others were announced Thursday.
Testing for COVID-19 has increased to more than 500 tests per day at the Cadham Provincial Laboratory in HSC Winnipeg. The province says staff are working to ensure results are available within 24 to 48 hours after a test is received at the lab. Once a positive test result is identified, the patient is notified by public health immediately and to self-isolate.
Those experiencing flu-like symptoms are still encouraged to contact Health Links — Info Santé at (204) 788-8200 or 1-888-315-9257 (toll-free). The call centre is receiving between 700 to 1,000 calls per day and is ramping up staffing levels in response to the demand. Shared Health says up to 100 calls can be handled simultaneously.
Once directed by Health Links, individuals can attend one of the four screening centres in Winnipeg to receive a test. Additional centres are expected to open in rural Manitoba within the next week.
Additionally, HSC Winnipeg has also opened a testing clinic for low-acuity patients in its William Avenue mall, where patients can be tested for both COVID-19 and influenza.
As announced Friday, all K-12 classes are suspended effective March 23 to April 10 to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Manitoba.
Health officials say beginning Sunday, HSC Winnipeg will begin restricting access points to the campus to ensure proper screening of visitors arriving at the facility can occur. Visitors to other health-care facilities may also be asked direct questions about their symptoms, contacts and travel history upon arrival.
Additional information from the province on COVID-19 can be found at Manitoba.ca/covid19.
Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, says all four of Manitoba’s #COVID19 cases are now lab-confirmed. #Coronavirus
— ChrisD.ca (@ChrisDca) March 14, 2020
