Saskatchewan reported 20 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Sunday afternoon, bringing the provincial total to 746.
Of the new cases, 18 are in the south. The other two are in the far north.
According to the Ministry of Health, the “majority of these cases have a connection to the outbreak in the south.”
On June 17, the Saskatchewan Health Authority declared an outbreak at two Hutterite communities in the Rural Municipality of Maple Creek, Sask., after two members of a rural household tested positive for the coronavirus.
The south has been inching up in cases since the outbreak was declared and has active cases in the dozens, similar to the far north which remains the province’s COVID-19 epicentre.
The outbreak also contributed to the province’s biggest spike in single-day cases seen in a month. The last time these many cases were reported in a single day was May 20, with 21 cases reported.
On Sunday, the province reported four more recoveries, bringing the total up to 643.
Active cases in the province rose to 88 — 44 are in the far north, two in the north, eight in Saskatoon and 34 in the south.
Two cases that tested positive in Saskatchewan reside out of province and remain under investigation, say health officials.
Three people are in the ICU, one in Saskatoon and two in the south.
Thirteen people have died in Saskatchewan due to COVID-19.
Coronavirus breakdown
Here is a breakdown of total Saskatchewan cases by age:
- 108 people are 19 and under
- 258 people are 20 to 39
- 234 are 40 to 59
- 125 people are 60 to 79
- 21 people are 80 and over
Females make up 51 per cent of the cases, males 49 per cent.
Officials said 442 cases are linked to community contact or mass gatherings, 154 are travel-related, 90 have no known exposure and 40 are under investigation by public health.
There are 53 cases involving health-care workers.
Saskatchewan has completed 60,060 tests so far for the virus, up 808 from Saturday.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
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. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.