17th coronavirus-related death reported in Saskatchewan, tests drop by nearly half

The Saskatchewan government reported the province’s 17th COVID-19-related death as it gave an update on new cases on Tuesday.

The deceased, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, was in their 70s and from the south region, according to a press release.

Health officials said in the daily update that there were nine new cases, with the overall total for the province growing to 1,218 since the first case was reported in March.

Three of the new cases are in the south region, two in Saskatoon, two in the north, and one each in the central and Regina regions, according to the press release.

Day-over-day, COVID-19 testing in Saskatchewan dropped by nearly half with 873 tests performed on Monday, compared to 1,613 on July 26.

To date, nearly 93,670 tests have been carried out in Saskatchewan. Universal testing was implemented in the province on July 14.

Thirteen people are currently in hospital — eight are receiving inpatient care and five are in intensive care.

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Twenty-one more people have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 907.

There are currently 294 active cases in the province, health officials said. Active cases are total cases less recoveries and deaths.

1:08 Active coronavirus cases rise over 300 in Saskatchewan

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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