The death toll from coronavirus in Saskatchewan rose by one person on Saturday.
“I am deeply saddened that a fourth Saskatchewan resident has lost their life to COVID-19,” said Premier Scott Moe.
“Today’s sad news tempers the positive trends we’ve been seeing in the case numbers.”
On Saturday, Saskatchewan reported five new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 289.
“Over half the cases in Saskatchewan have recovered, and for the first time there are more recoveries than active cases,” Moe said.
“Today reminds us of the risks of the deadly disease but also the difference we can make with good physical distancing and we have been doing so.”
According to health officials, the person died in Regina. The man was in his 60s and had underlying health conditions.
In total four people have died from the virus.
The last death was reported on April 1, which was a person in their 80s. The province’s first two deaths were reported on March 30. Both were in their 70s.
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“This is a reminder that COVID-19 is a serious illness, especially in the elderly and those with underlying health issues,” said Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province’s chief medical health officer.
The reported death comes exactly one month after the province reported its first presumptive positive case as the numbers continue to climb.
There are eight people in the hospital, including seven people who are receiving inpatient care while one person is in the ICU.
A total of 147 people have recovered from the virus after 11 new recoveries were reported on Friday.
Active cases continue to decline, dropping from 146 on Friday to 138. These represent the total number of cases not including recoveries and deaths.
There are 30 health-care workers who have the virus, which is the same as Friday.
Health-care workers currently make up 10.5 per cent of all cases in the province. According to officials, 11 of the workers caught the virus from a curling bonspiel in Edmonton. It’s unreported how the others were infected, but health officials say the source of their infections may not be health-care related.
Of the 289 cases in the province, 126 are a result of travelling while 106 are linked to mass gatherings and community contacts.
There are 22 cases with no known exposure, while 35 other cases are currently being investigated by public health.
Saskatoon remains the province’s epicentre for the virus with 145 cases reported in the city. There are 60 cases in Regina, 52 in northern Saskatchewan, 15 from southern Saskatchewan, and 10 from central Saskatchewan. Seven cases are linked to the far north.
Eighteen cases involve people under the age of 19 while the remainder of the cases are adults.
With a large number of cases in those under the age of 44, Shahab says the government is reaching out to younger demographic through Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
“It emphasizes that all of us need to take care, remain healthy, which protects us and those who are most vulnerable.”
To date the province has completed 18,448 COVID-19 tests.
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.
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