COVID-19 NUMBERS DROP TO LOWEST LEVEL IN WEEKS

Manitoba's key COVID-19 numbers dropped to their lowest levels in weeks Monday, more than one month after restrictions were tightened. The province reported 167 new cases and four deaths. Both numbers haven't been that low since before the government imposed a provincewide Code Red on Nov. 12, which limited public gatherings and required many stores to close. The restrictions were further tightened Nov. 20, when a ban on most social visits inside private homes took effect. “Our case numbers are down today, which is definitely a positive,” said Dr. Jazz Atwal, the acting deputy chief provincial public health officer. “However, we must remain vigilant. We can't let these lower numbers lull us into a false sense of security.” The number of people testing positive also dropped Monday to 11.5 per cent over a five-day average. The number of new COVID-19 cases has been trending downward slowly, in recent weeks. Hospitalization rates, however, have been stable and the demand for intensive care beds remains well above normal.