News briefs for Friday, November 25, 2022

Two people have been arrested in the slaying of a 47-year-old man in Winnipeg last month.

William Markowski was discovered near a residence in the 100 block of Johnson Avenue West early on Oct. 31. Markowski was transported to hospital in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead.

Toni Emma Ruddell, 23, and Christian Flett, 28, were arrested on Nov. 17 in Edmonton on warrants for second-degree murder. The pair was returned to Winnipeg Thursday.

There were 82 hospital admissions related to COVID-19 and 14 flu-related hospital admissions last week.

The provincial respiratory virus epidemiological report for the week of Nov. 13 to 19, posted online this morning, shows an 18.2 per cent weekly test positivity rate for COVID (388 COVID cases) and 15.6 per cent test positivity for influenza (160 flu cases). The reformatted reports only include lab-confirmed cases.

There were 62 detected cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) with a test positivity rate of 5.6 per cent.

Emergency-room visits due to respiratory viruses are still on the rise, the report notes.

 

The pandemic curbed the number of sexually transmitted infections that were reported in Manitoba, and the demand for related medical treatment fell during COVID-19 restrictions, a new provincial report shows.

The province published a report on sexually transmitted and blood-borne diseases Friday, showing fewer reported STIs, but a continued increase in HIV cases. The numbers recorded during 2020 are likely lower than the true number of infections in Manitoba during that time, the report notes, but an actual decrease in infection may be occurring.

“The number of cases diagnosed in 2020 may be lower than the true number of cases infected in the province during that year. The continued decrease in 2021 may be associated with restricted visitation during the pandemic, resulting in reduced transmission and a decrease in the number of cases infected,” it states.

The full report is posted here.

 

DALLAS — The Winnipeg Jets will welcome defenceman Dylan DeMelo back into the lineup tonight as they continue a road trip by facing the Dallas Stars.

DeMelo missed the last four games with injury, including Wednesday’s 6-1 loss in Minnesota that kicked off this three-game journey.

Ville Heinola will come out, joining fellow blue-liner Kyle Capobianco and forward Dominic Toninato as the healthy scratches.

Connor Hellebuyck gets a second straight start in net for the 11-6-1 Jets. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m. CT.