Provincial COVID-19 Surveillance


To guide the Public Health response to COVID-19, Epidemiology and Surveillance has been monitoring the intensity and geographic spread, characteristics of both cases and contacts, and transmission in various populations. Surveillance data collected includes syndromic, laboratory and public health investigation data about cases and contacts to detect activity in both community and in health care settings.

In this weekly COVID-19 surveillance report, we provide regular updates about the current activity of COVID-19 in Manitoba with two overall objectives:

Data are reported with a one-week delay for increased data accuracy, completeness and reliability. More analyses continue to be conducted and will be added to this report as available. It is published online at approximately 10:00am every Monday.

Week 44 (October 25 – October 31)

About epidemiological week

Data extracted up to 4:00am on November 6, 2020
Next reporting date: November 16, 2020

Provincial Summary: High Activity

In Week 44, there were 1,785 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in Manitoba, an increase from 1,037 in the previous week. The volume of lab tests increased to on average 3,122 people tested for COVID-19 per day compared to 2,491 in the previous week. The positivity rate of lab tests was 8.5%, an increase from 7% in the previous week. The respiratory activity levels in the community, primary care and emergency rooms continued to be low.

In an examination of the 1,785 cases reported this week, majority (69%) were reported from Winnipeg Regional Health and 14% were reported from the Southern Health - Santé Sud Regional Health Authority. The remaining cases were reported from Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (9%), Northern Health Region (6%) and Prairie Mountain Health Authority (2%).

Overall, older adults and those with underlying illnesses are at higher risk for severe outcomes as a result of COVID-19 infection.

The number of reported respiratory outbreaks remains low for this time of year.

Cases

About cases

  • New cases: 1,785
  • Total cases: 6,138
  • Recovered cases: 3,003
More Analyses

Testing

About testing

This week

  • Average daily specimens: 3,122
  • Weekly positivity rate: 8.5%

Total

  • Tested people: 214,952
  • Population tested: 15.8%
  • Positivity rate: 2.5%
More Analyses

Severity

About severity

Severe outcomes associated with COVID-19:

  • Hospitalizations: 363
    • ICU admissions: 78
  • Deaths: 90
More Analyses

Outbreaks

About outbreaks

COVID-19 outbreaks: 56

  • Outbreaks in long-term care facilities: 33
  • Outbreaks in schools: 2
More Analyses

FluWatchers

About FluWatchers

Participants reporting: 584

Reporting fever and cough: 0.2%

Check Trend

Physician Visits

About sentinal physicians

Influenza Like Illness (ILI) Visits to sentinel physicians: 0.5%

Check Trend

ED Visits

About emergency room visits

Average daily respiratory visits to emergency department (ED): 87

Check Trend

Exposure

About exposure

Source of infection in cases (% of total)

  • Travel: 4.1%
  • Close contact to cases: 52.9%
  • Unknown: 20.5%
  • Pending: 22.5%

Close contacts to cases

  • Top contact type: Community contact
  • Household contacts converting to cases: 11.2%
More Analyses

Risk Factors

About risk factors

  • Pregnant cases: 70
  • Health care workers**: 320
  • Recovered health care workers: 162
More Analyses

Symptoms

About symptoms

Symptomatic cases: 75.3%

Top symptoms (% of reports)

  • Cough: 46.7%
  • Headache: 41.4%
  • Fever: 32.4%
  • Muscle pain (myalgia): 30.5%
  • Sore Throat: 29.6%
More Analyses

Important Notes

  1. Data about COVID-19 cases and contacts are extracted from PHIMS.
  2. Numbers are subject to change. Missed events in the current report due to reporting delays will be included in later reports when data become available.
  3. *ICU admissions were also included in hospitalizations.
  4. **Health care workers include personnels in hospitals, long-term care settings, community health clinics and services (including agency staff), and diagnostic/laboratory services.

Cases

Figure 1. Cases of COVID-19 by Week of Public Health Report Date, Manitoba, 2020

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Figure 2. Cases of COVID-19 by Sex and Age Group, Manitoba, 2020

Figure 3. Cases of COVID-19 by Health Region and Public Health Report Date, Manitoba, 2020

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Table 1. Cases of COVID-19 by Health Region, Manitoba, 2020

Health Region Cases Percentage
Winnipeg RHA 3940 64.2%
Southern Health-Santé Sud 857 14.0%
Interlake-Eastern RHA 502 8.2%
Prairie Mountain Health 631 10.3%
Northern Health Region 208 3.4%

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Testing

Figure 4. Average Daily Testing Volume and Positivity (%) for COVID-19 by Week of Specimen Receiving Date, Manitoba, 2020

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Table 2. Cumulative National Testing Volume and Positivity (%) for COVID-19 by Province/Territory, Canada, 2020

Province Confirmed Cases Tests Completed Tested Population (Estimated %) Positivity Rate (Estimated %)
Alberta 27,664 1,261,145 29.0% 2.2%
British Columbia 14,381 611,109 12.1% 2.4%
Manitoba 5,374 248,031 18.2% 2.2%
New Brunswick 342 83,668 10.8% 0.4%
Newfoundland and Labrador 291 52,145 10.0% 0.6%
Northwest Territories 10 5,487 12.2% 0.2%
Nova Scotia 1,104 112,574 11.6% 1.0%
Nunavut 0 3,010 7.8% 0.0%
Ontario 74,715 4,902,283 33.8% 1.5%
Prince Edward Island 64 47,960 30.8% 0.1%
Quebec 104,952 1,897,168 22.5% 5.5%
Saskatchewan 3,066 207,666 17.7% 1.5%
Yukon 23 4,053 10.0% 0.6%
Canada 231,999 9,436,375 25.2% 2.5%
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Note. National testing data are collected daily from the national Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Outbreak update webpage.

Severity

Figure 5. Severe Outcomes of COVID-19 by Week of Public Health Report Date, Manitoba, 2020

Note. ICU admissions are not included in the hospital admissions.

Figure 6. Age Distribution of Severe COVID-19 Cases Compared to All Cases, Manitoba, 2020

Figure 7. Percentage of COVID-19 Cases With Underlying Illnesses, Manitoba, 2020

Note. Musculoskeletal illnesses include: osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, gout and crystal Arthropathies; COPD-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CVD-cardiovascular disease; Other CVDs include: ischemic heart disease, heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and stroke; Other chronic conditions include: parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. About definitions of chronic conditions

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Risk Factors

Table 3. Source of Infection in Health Care Workers with Non-missing Information, Manitoba, 2020

Source of infection Cases Percentage
Close contact of known case 181 68.8%
Travel 11 4.2%
Unknown 71 27%
All Cases 263

Table 4. Roles of Health Care Workers with Non-missing Information, Manitoba, 2020

Role Cases
Allied Health and Support Staff 196
Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse 79
Physician or Physician in Training 15

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Outbreaks

Figure 8. Weekly Respiratory and COVID-19 Outbreaks, Manitoba, 2017 – 2020

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FluWatchers

Figure 9. Weekly FluWatchers Participants and Percentage Reporting Fever and Cough, Manitoba, 2020

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Physician Visits

Figure 10. Weekly Percentage of ILI Related Visits to Sentinel Physicians, Manitoba, 2017 – 2020

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ED Visits

Figure 11. Weekly Respiratory Visits to Emergency Department, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Manitoba, 2017 – 2020

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Contacts

Table 5. COVID-19 Contact Summary Table, Manitoba, 2020

Regional Health Authority Active Cases Median Contacts Min contacts Max contacts
Interlake-Eastern Health 25 6 0 44
Northern Health 13 6 0 63
Prairie Mountain Health 15 4 0 47
Southern Health - Sante Sud 34 3 0 10
Winnipeg Health 534 4 0 53

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Symptoms

Figure 12. Percentage of Symptoms Reported by COVID-19 Cases, Manitoba, 2020

Note: Other symptoms include those less common symptoms such as sweating, runny eyes, itchy throat, etc.

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Epidemiology and Surveillance

epiCOVID@gov.mb.ca

Other Epidemiology and Surveillance reports

https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/surveillance/index.html