42 new coronavirus cases in Saskatchewan, active cases climb for 11th consecutive day

Saskatchewan reported 42 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Sunday afternoon, bringing the provincial total to 1,178.

Of the new COVID-19 cases 22 are in the south, 10 are in Saskatoon, eight are in central Saskatchewan and two are in the north.

The majority of the new cases are in Hutterite colonies, according to the Ministry of Health. Of the 42 cases reported on Sunday, 35 are from colonies in the south and central regions, Saskatoon and the north, health officials say.

Eleven more people have recovered from the virus, bringing total recoveries up to 873.

Saskatchewan hasn’t seen a decline in its total active case count in 11 days as the virus continues to spread throughout the province. On Sunday, active cases rose to 289 — 153 are in the south, 80 are in central Saskatchewan, 32 are in Saskatoon, 11 are in the north, 10 are in the far north and three are in Regina.

There are 13 people in the hospital, nine of whom are receiving inpatient care — four in Saskatoon, two in the south, one in Regina and two in the central region. Four people are in the ICU — three in Saskatoon and one in Regina.

Sixteen people have died in Saskatchewan due to COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

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Coronavirus breakdown

Here is a breakdown of total Saskatchewan cases by age:

• 176 people are 19 and under
• 394 people are 20 to 39
• 368 are 40 to 59
• 203 people are 60 to 79
• 37 people are 80 and over

Females make up 51 per cent of the cases, males 49 per cent.

Officials said 597 cases are linked to community contact or mass gatherings, 198 are travel-related, 272 have no known exposure and 111 are under investigation by public health.

There have been 60 cases involving health-care workers.

Saskatchewan has completed 91,183 tests so far for the virus, up 1,396 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. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.

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