1 new death, 98 more COVID-19 cases reported in Manitoba on Tuesday

Manitoba reports 98 more COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and one new death, a provincial news release said.

A womanin her 80s from the Winnipeg health region has died, bringing the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 to 929.

Of the new cases, more than half57 are in the Winnipeg area. There are also 31 cases in the Northern health region, four in the Prairie Mountain Health region and three each in the Southern and Interlake Eastern health regions.

Manitoba's five-day test positivity rate is 5.3 per cent,up from 5.2 per cent on Monday. In Winnipeg, that rate is 3.9 per cent, up from 3.7 per cent on Monday.

There are now 142 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Manitoba, up four since Monday. That includes 25 people in intensive care.

There are 1,247 active cases and 31,335 people have recovered from COVID-19, the release said.

There were1,575 COVID-19 tests done in Manitoba on Monday.

There are no new confirmed cases of coronavirus variants of concern.

Possible variant exposure on Transit

Meanwhile, an outbreak has been declared at Extendicare Tuxedo Villa in Winnipeg.

The province also warnedthat the public may have been exposed to a more infectious coronavirus varianton board the Winnipeg TransitBlue Linelast week.

The possible exposure took place on March 15 when a person boarded at Graham Avenue and Fort Street at 4 p.m. and got off atClarence Station at about 4:20 p.m.

Elsewhere, aperson who may have been infectious was at Huron Child Care on McPhillips Street from March 11-18. That case did not appear to involve a variant of concern. Public health officials said close contacts and their families have been told to self-isolate until April 1.

Manitobans can learn more about other possible COVID-19 and coronavirus variant exposures on the province's website.

This update comes as Premier Brian Pallister and Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced Manitoba won't be moving down into orange-level pandemic restrictions after spending more than four months in the red zone.

The decision camebecause offeedbackfrom Manitobans, as well as concerns about rising numbers of more transmissible coronavirusvariants, and the need to maintain stability in the health-care system, the province saidin a news release.

Some changes are coming on Friday, though. Limits on outdoor gatherings,weddings and funerals will go from 10 to 25 people, andmaximum capacity for retailstores will increasefrom250 to 500 people, although stores may not exceed 50 per cent capacity.

On Monday, Roussin announced students, staff and teachers atfour more Winnipeg schools were exposed to more contagious coronavirus variants.

He also announced 66 more cases of COVID-19 and a death.

WATCH | Full news conference on COVID-19 | March 23, 2021:

Manitoba government daily briefing on coronavirus: March 23

4 years ago

Duration 46:09

Provincial officials give update on COVID-19 outbreak: Tuesday, March 23, 2021.