Saskatchewan reports 11 new cases of COVID-19, hits single-day testing record

Saskatchewan reported 11 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday as the province hit a new single-day testing record.

The government performed 2,873 COVID-19 tests on Friday, which is the highest daily number of tests performed to date, according to data provided by the government of Saskatchewan.

The previous record was set on Aug. 6 with 2,129 tests performed within a single day.

Of the new cases, five are in Regina, two are in the Saskatoon area, two are in south central and one in central west and central east Saskatchewan.

The new cases in Saskatoon are connected to an outbreak at Brandt Industries. The outbreak was declared on Friday after the province reported six cases linked to the workplace. Health officials say the outbreak is linked to out-of-province travel.

With 11 new cases, the province’s total of cases has risen to 1,787.

Of the province’s total cases, 121 are considered active with 25 of the cases existing in communal living settings, which is the province’s term to describe Hutterite colonies.

The government reported three more recoveries on Saturday. A total of 1,642 people have recovered from the virus in Saskatchewan.

Here is a breakdown of where Saskatchewan’s active cases are:

• Saskatoon: 63
• Central East: 20
• Regina: 13
• Central West: 7
• South Central: 5
• South West: 4
• North West: 3
• Far North East: 2
• South East: 2
• Far North West: 1
• North East: 1

There are 10 people in hospital, nine of which are receiving inpatient care. One person is in intensive care in Saskatoon.

1:44 COVID Alert app now available in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 death toll remains at 24 people.

Coronavirus breakdown

Here is a breakdown of total Saskatchewan cases by age:

• 296 people are 19 and under
• 584 people are 20 to 39
• 549 are 40 to 59
• 298 people are 60 to 79
• 60 people are 80 and over

Women make up 50 per cent of the cases, men make up 50 per cent.

Officials said 880 cases are linked to community contact or mass gatherings, 265 are travel-related, 522 have no known exposure and 120 are under investigation by public health.

There have been 69 cases involving health-care workers.

Saskatchewan has completed 169,519 COVID-19 tests to date, up 2,873 from Friday.

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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