Saskatchewan reports 6 new cases of COVID-19 bringing provincial total to 285

Saskatchewan reported six new cases of COVID-19 and one presumptive case on Friday afternoon, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 285.

There are eight people in the hospital, including six who are receiving inpatient care and two who remain in the ICU.

A total of 136 people have recovered from the virus.

Active cases continued to decline, dropping from 160 on Thursday to 146. These represent the total number of cases less recoveries and deaths.

There are 30 health-care workers who have the virus, an increase from the 27 reported on Thursday.

Health-care workers currently make up 10.5 per cent of all cases in the province. According to health officials, 11 of the workers caught the virus from a curling bonspeil in Edmonton. It’s unknown how the others were infected, but health officials say the source of their infections may not be health-care related.

Of the 285 cases in the province, 123 are a result of travelling while 103 are linked to mass gatherings and community contacts.

There are 22 cases with no known exposures while 36 other cases are currently being investigated by public health.

Saskatoon remains the province’s epicenter for the virus, with 142 cases reported in the city. There are 60 cases in Regina, 52 in northern Saskatchewan, 15 from southern Saskatchewan, and 10 from central Saskatchewan. Six cases are linked to the far north.

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Seventeen cases involve people 19 years of age and under while the remainder of cases are adults.There have been three deaths related to COVID-19 reported to date. Saskatchewan has a fatality rate of 1.1 per cent, say health officials.The province has performed 17,634 tests.Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab was not available Friday for comment. Shahab will not be speaking to the public on Saturday or Sunday, but will return with his live update on Monday.

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know: Health officials caution against all international travel. All international travellers returning to Saskatchewan are required to self-isolate for 14 days in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others.Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.