The Manitoba government says COVID-19 testing is so backed up in the province that case counts have been underreported.
The province says in a COVID-19 bulletin Thursday that demand at test collection sites in Winnipeg and across the province is so high it is delaying results for four days or longer.
The government says only Manitobans experiencing COVID-19, cold or flu-like symptoms should seek testing.
It says the backlog is estimated to be more than 7,500 specimens and it is exploring options to expand laboratory capacity to help alleviate it.
In the meantime, the government says long lineups and wait times for test results should be expected and people are being asked to be patient and kind to others in line, as well as those working at the collection sites.
Manitoba’s COVID-19 numbers continue to rise with 556 new cases on Thursday, up from 400 new cases the day before.
“The province has reached its capacity to process COVID-19 specimens at facilities in Manitoba,” reads the bulletin.
“As a result, it is expected that the current COVID-19 case counts are an under-reporting of the virus across the province.”
The province is reporting 2,933 active cases, with a test positivity rate of 10.9 per cent.
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