18 new cases of highly contagious B117 coronavirus variant found in Manitoba - CBC.ca

The number of more contagious coronavirus variant cases has nearly doubled in Manitoba.

There are 50 new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba. No deaths were announced, leaving the death toll due to COVID-19 at 917 in Manitoba.

Another 18 cases of the more contagious B117 variant originally detected in the U.K. have been identified, said Dr. Brent Roussin, chief public health officer for Manitoba. One is in the Interlake and 17 are in Winnipeg.

The test positivity rate is creeping up again at 4.8 per cent in Manitoba, and it's 3.5 per cent in Winnipeg.

Meanwhile, vaccine appointments are now open to anyone 77 and older, and First Nations people 57 and older.

"We're really in that race to get Manitobans vaccinated, but it's really going to impair our ability to vaccinate Manitobans if we start to see high test positivity rates again," Roussin said.

41 variant cases so far

There have been 41 total cases of variants of concern found so far in Manitoba; 19 are active cases.

There are eight linked to travel, while nine can't be linked to travel or other cases, Roussin said.

"We need to be quite cautious moving forward, especially with our reopening plans," he said. "We are at risk of seeing that increased transmission."

On Sunday, the province reported a possible exposure to a variant of concern on a Winnipeg Transit bus on Route 16, on March 4 and 5 between 11:09 a.m. and noon.

The infected person rode from Osborne Street and River Avenue to Manitoba Avenue and Ellington Street.

In other areas where variants have gotten a foothold, cases shot up quickly, Roussin said, urging Manitobans to stick to the fundamentals — washing hands frequently, staying home when sick, physical distancing and wearing a mask in public places.

More than 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been given out in Manitoba so far, and as that number increases, fewer people will suffer severe consequences due to the virus or end up in hospital, he said.

Roussin was asked whether he has concerns about the safety of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine on Friday.

Denmark, Iceland, and Norway are among some European countries that have suspended use of the vaccine, citing reports of blood clots in some who received it.

"Looking at that data, it's very limited to support any concerning findings," Roussin said.

Canada, Germany, France, Poland, Nigeria, the United Kingdom and many other countries continue to use AstraZeneca, citing a lack of evidence of blood clots. The manufacturer just completed a review of 17 million people who have received the vaccine and found no evidence of heightened risk of blood clots.

Roussin said he is scheduled to get his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday. 

"I don't have any safety concerns," he said.

"Looking at that data, it's very limited to support any concerning findings, so in my opinion, this is a safe vaccine."

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2021-03-15 18:04:01Z
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