Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced 191 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to ten percent.  He also reported five additional deaths with three in the Winnipeg region and one each in the Southern and Northern health regions. Roussin noted the current restrictions are making a difference explaining they looked back at the modeling numbers on the trajectory we were on in early November and looking back at that they’ve figured that from November 12^th to January 3^rd these red level restrictions have likely saved 17 hundred lives.

Of the new cases 84 are in the Northern health region and 71 in Winnipeg region with lower numbers in other regions. Roussin says a lot of work is being done in northern communities including Lynn Lake, Thompson and Garden Hill First Nation experiencing high case numbers.  Of the total 27,145 reported cases 2907 are active, 23,478 individuals have recovered and 284 are in hospital with 35 in intensive care.