The Saskatchewan government reported the province’s 18th COVID-19-related death as it gave an update on new cases on Thursday.
The deceased, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, was in their 90s and from the south region, according to a press release.
Health officials said in the daily update there were 38 new cases, with the overall total for the province growing to 1,306 since the first case was reported in March.
Fourteen of the new cases are located in the central region, 12 in the north, six in the south, five in Saskatoon and last one in the far north.
Health officials said investigations completed thus far found that 23 of the 38 cases are from “multiple communal living settings” across Saskatchewan.
Fourteen people are currently in hospital — nine are receiving inpatient care and five are in intensive care.
Fifty-five more people have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 984.
There are currently 304 active cases in the province, health officials said. Active cases are total cases less recoveries and deaths.
To date, more than 96,705 tests have been carried out in the province.
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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