New COVID case fourth in Southern Health region temporary foreign worker cluster

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This article was published 02/06/2020 (1422 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Public health officials say four temporary foreign workers at the same establishment in the Southern Health region have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Dr. Brent Roussin, the province’s chief public health officer, said the cluster of cases does not present a significant risk to the public.

Roussin refused to identify the type of business, citing privacy concerns.

He said those testing positive are among 18 recent arrivals at the same enterprise who have been self-isolating. They had been divided into groups or cohorts of six to lessen any potential spread of the virus.

Four workers from one of the cohorts have tested positive. There have been no positive cases from the other two cohorts.

All 18 have been tested, with results pending on three samples, Roussin said. Six local workers connected to the enterprise were also tested, and the results were negative, he said.

“That’s why we don’t feel there’s any real risk to the public here,” he said. “People are being self-isolated and it appears that this will be a limited cluster.”

Because of the small numbers involved, tests were conducted on people who did not show symptoms of COVID-19, Roussin said.

Temporary foreign workers are required to self-isolate for 14 days upon arriving in the country.

The first positive test from the Southern Health cluster was reported Sunday by health officials. Two more positive tests were reported on Tuesday, with the fourth on Wednesday.

The new case brought the total of lab-confirmed positive and probable positive cases in Manitoba to 298. There are nine active cases of the virus in the province, and there are none under treatment in hospital.

On Tuesday, an additional 824 laboratory tests were performed, bringing the total since early February to 45,923.

Meanwhile, in answer to a reporter’s question, Roussin said the province is looking at eliminating the blanket requirement of 14 days self-isolation for all those entering Manitoba from other provinces.

He said Manitoba might be able to consider the relaxation of self-isolation requirements “in the upcoming weeks.”

He said the easing of self-isolation measures would pertain only to jurisdictions with a favourable epidemiology.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca