Public health officials advise that one new death in people with COVID-19 has been reported today:
- a male in his 50s from the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region.

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 9.6 per cent provincially and 11.3 per cent in Winnipeg. As of 9:30 a.m. today, 502 new cases of the virus have been identified. However, four cases have been removed due to data correction. This brings the net-new number of cases today to 498 and the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 40,940.

Today’s COVID-19 data shows:
- 30 cases in the Interlake–Eastern health region;
- 17 cases in the Northern health region;
- 32 cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region;
- 34 cases in the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region; and
- 389 cases in the Winnipeg health region.

The data also shows:
- 2,989 active cases and 36,964 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19;
- 137 people in hospital with active COVID-19 as well as 64 people in hospital with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 201 hospitalizations;
- 44 people in intensive care units with active COVID-19 as well as 12 people with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care, for a total of 56 ICU patients;
- 4,723 laboratory tests were completed yesterday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February 2020 to 685,810; and
- the total number of deaths in people with COVID-19 is 987.

Additional data on variants of concern is updated from Tuesday to Saturday at https://geoportal.gov.mb.ca/. Data related to COVID-19, outbreaks and some downloadable and historic data can also be found at this site.

Other possible exposure locations are listed online by region at the province’s #RestartMB Pandemic Response System webpage. For up-to-date information on possible public exposures to COVID-19 in regions, visit www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/updates/flights.html#event and click on your region.

Public health officials are reminding Manitobans that in most cases, they should only seek testing at a provincial test site if they are symptomatic or have been advised by public health that they are a close contact. This will help ensure that those who need to be tested can continue to access testing as easily as possible.

Manitobans have several options available to access testing including drive-thru, walk-in or by booking an appointment by calling (toll-free) 1-855-268-4318 or online at select sites through https://patient.petalmd.com/login?error=expired_token&groupId=5930.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, including the online screening tool, testing criteria and locations, self-isolation requirements, public health fundamentals and the provincial response level on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID19.

VACCINES

Meantime, the province has further expanded eligibility to be vaccined at a pop-up clinic or supersite. As of Friday, individuals aged 40 or older and Indigenous people aged 18 and olde can now book appointments.

In addition, all adults aged 18 and older who live or work in specified jobs in these priority communities continue to be eligible to make an appointment:

- Prairie Mountain Health – Brandon East End and Brandon Downtown;

- Winnipeg Regional Health Authority – Inkster West, Fort Garry South, Seven Oaks West, Downtown East, Point Douglas South, Inkster East, Point Douglas North, Downtown West, River East South, St. Vital North and Seven Oaks East; and

- Interlake–Eastern Regional Health Authority – Powerview-Pine Falls.

All adults who live or work (in any role) in the Northern Regional Health Authority, as well as Churchill, are also eligible. A map and other information about community-based eligibility is available at https://manitoba.ca/covid19/vaccine/eligibility-criteria.html#community-based.

Eligibility also includes people aged 18 and older who:
- are pregnant;
- are a client of Community Living disABILITY Services;
- work in any health-care setting including outpatient settings; or
- work as a front-line police officer or firefighter.

Eligibility for the AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine includes individuals aged 40 or older and people aged 30 to 39 with priority health conditions. A complete list is available at:
https://manitoba.ca/covid19/vaccine/eligibility-criteria.html.

As well, the province is piloting the use of the Moderna vaccine in several pharmacies and medical clinics. Each of these locations is responsible for identifying and booking clients into available appointments.

Appointments

Eligible people can now book appointments at the Gimli super site, which will be opening later this month. Appointments are also currently available at super sites in Dauphin, Steinbach, Winnipeg (RBC Convention Centre and Leila locations), Brandon, Thompson, Selkirk and Morden. Eligible individuals can book their appointment online at https://protectmb.ca with an email address and health card number, or by calling (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC).

Pop-up clinics are scheduled in Winnipeg next week and in other locations throughout the province during the week of May 17. Appointments can be made by calling (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC).

Appointments are also available at urban Indigenous pop-up clinics led by community organizations in Winnipeg, Brandon, Thompson and Portage la Prairie.

The AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine is available at medical clinics or pharmacies. Find available doses and how to make an appointment with the COVID-19 Vaccine Shot Finder, located at www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/vaccine/finder.html.

People will be able to begin booking second-dose appointments on May 22. Individuals who are immunocompromised or have other prioritized health conditions will be able to book their appointments first. More details on this process will provided in the coming days.

Vaccine Administration

To date, 534,647 doses of vaccine have been administered in Manitoba.

This week, Focused Immunization Teams will be visiting five congregate living facilities to provide first-dose immunizations.

Vaccine Supply and Distribution

To date, a total of 657,660 doses of vaccine have been delivered to Manitoba. This includes:
• 432,900 doses of Pfizer vaccine;
• 140,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine; and
• 84,260 doses of the AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine.

This week Manitoba expects to receive 73,710 doses of Pfizer vaccine.

Additional Information

The new Manitoba Pandemic Sick Leave program will provide employers with up to $600 per employee for up to five full days of COVID-19 related sick leave, which do not have to be taken consecutively. Eligible sick leave related to COVID-19 includes testing, vaccinations and side effects, self-isolation due to COVID-19 symptoms, or care for a loved one in any of the previously mentioned circumstances.

Anyone who has been in Manitoba for one month or more can receive the vaccine at no cost if they meet provincial eligibility requirements.

People in Manitoba can now access interpreter services in over 100 languages when they are booking their COVID-19 vaccine appointment by phone. Callers can also request spoken language or American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation services at one of the province’s super-site locations.

When attending a vaccine appointment, people are reminded to bring their completed consent form (available online at https://protectmb.ca) wear a short-sleeved shirt, wear a mask, and bring their health card or other form of identification. To help support good physical distancing on site, people should arrive no more than 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment time.

More information about the vaccine campaign in Manitoba is available at www.manitoba.ca/vaccine and https://protectmb.ca. For regular updates, visit https://protectmb.ca and sign up for the weekly e-newsletter.