Forty-one northers were in hospital due to COVID-19 on Wednesday, 37 of them with active infections and four of them in intensive care. The NRHA has now had 3,606 total cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
Province-wide, there are 281 people in hospital due to the virus, 127 of whose cases are still considered active. Thirty-six of them are in intensive care, including 12 who are no longer considered infectious.
Four more deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in Manitoba Jan. 27, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 813.
The provincial five-day test positivity rate on Wednesday was 9.6 per cent.
Health and Seniors Care Minister Heather Stefanson and Dr. Joss Reimer, medical officer of health with Manitoba Health and Seniors Care and medical lead on the vaccine implementation task force, announced further priority groups for vaccinations at a news conference on Wednesday. The second stage includes more health care workers, residents of high and moderate-risk congregate living facilities, First Nations people and anyone over 80 years old, starting with those 95 or older and working down. Essential workers may be added to the priority groups if vaccine supplies increase.