135 new COVID-19 cases in Manitoba, possible variant exposures at Winnipeg Costco, No Frills

Manitoba is reporting135 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday and onedeath a woman in her 80s from the Winnipeg health region.

Of the new cases, most 71 are in the Winnipeg health region, the province said in a news release.

There are also 33 new cases in the Northern Health Region, 18 in Southern Health, nine in Prairie Mountain Healthand four in the Interlake-Eastern health region.

The latest COVID-19 death bringsManitoba'stotallinked to the illness to 949 (one previously reported death was removed from the province's total due to a data correction).

The province is warning the public of possible exposures to a more contagious coronavirus variant at two Winnipeg stores earlier this month.

People may have been exposed to the B117 coronavirus variant, which was first discovered in the U.K.,at the Costco at 1499 Regent Ave. onApril 1, between 2 and 3 p.m., and at the No Frills grocery store at 1500 Plessis Rd.between 2:30 and 4 p.m., the release says.

Anyone concerned about their potential exposure tothe B117 variantshould call Health Linksat 204-788-8200 or1-888-315-9257 to determine whether they need to be tested, the province says.

On Saturday, the province reporteda total of 412 cases involving coronavirus variants of concern, up from 376 reported onFriday.

The latest total includes 364 cases of the B117 variant and 20 cases of B1351variant, which was first discovered in South Africa. Another28 variant of concern cases haven't yet been categorized.

There are now 141 COVID-19 patients in hospital in Manitoba, up by five since Friday. Of those, 32 people are in intensive care,down by three.

Manitoba's five-day test positivity rate jumped to 5.7 per cent, up from 5.5 per cent on Friday. In Winnipeg, the rate increased to 5.2 per cent, up from 5.1.

There havebeen 35,104 COVID-19 cases identified in Manitoba since the start of the pandemic, including 32,896 deemed recovered and1,259 still considered active.

On Friday,2,031 COVID-19 tests were done in Manitoba, bringing the number of swabs completed in the province to601,994 since early February 2020.

2 new outbreaks

The province is reporting new outbreaks at Donwood Manor in Winnipeg and at Boyne Lodge Personal Care Home in Carman.

Meanwhile, an outbreak associated withSt. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Sarto is now considered over, the province says.

Saturday's update comes after the province reported 179 new infections on Friday, which was the highest single-day increase since Jan. 24.

Dr. Joss Reimer, the medical leadfor the province's vaccine task force, also warned on Friday that the province is at the beginning of its third wave of COVID-19.

She urged people to reduce their contacts, stay home whenever possible and wear a mask when spending time with people they don't live with even ifoutside.

Three more deaths linked to the illness were also announced on Friday, including a man in his 20s from the Northern Health Region.