19 new coronavirus cases reported in Saskatchewan, hits single-day testing record

Saskatchewan reported 19 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday as the province hit a new single-day testing record.

Of the new cases, 15 are in the Saskatoon area, with 13 of them being linked to known cases or events, says the Ministry of Health.

Two new cases have been reported in the central east and Regina zones.

As of Saturday, Saskatchewan has a total of 1,863 reported cases. Two cases previously reported have been removed as they live outside of Saskatchewan, say officials.

There are 134 active cases of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan, with a total of 1,705 people who have recovered from the virus.

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

• Saskatoon: 83
• Regina: 19
• Central West: 8
• Central East: 5
• South East: 5
• South Central: 4
• North Central: 3
• South West: 3
• North West: 1
• Far North East: 1
• Far North West: 1
• North East: 1

There are eight people in hospital, all who are receiving inpatient care.

1:33 Saskatoon chamber of commerce asks SHA for mask-wearing ad blitz

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

Coronavirus breakdown

Here is a breakdown of total Saskatchewan cases by age:

• 318 people are 19 and under
• 603 people are 20 to 39
• 577 are 40 to 59
• 303 people are 60 to 79
• 62 people are 80 and over

Women make up 51 per cent of the cases, men make up 49 per cent.

Officials said 931 cases are linked to community contact or mass gatherings, 279 are travel-related, 534 have no known exposure and 119 are under investigation by public health.

There have been 69 cases involving health-care workers.

Saskatchewan has completed 183,216 COVID-19 tests to date, up 2,984 from Friday, making it the highest daily number of tests performed to date, according to data provided by the Ministry of Health.

The previous record was set on Sept. 18, when 2,984 tests were performed.

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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