Saskatchewan reported two coronavirus-related deaths on Monday, bringing the province’s total to 47.
Both people who tested positive for COVID-19 were in their 80s and resided in the south central and south east zones, according to a press release.
Health officials said there were 325 new cases in the daily update, with the overall total for the province growing to 8,564 since the first case was reported in March. They added the new seven-day average of daily cases is 263.
According to the press release, most of the new cases are located in the Saskatoon zone with 125, while there are 62 in Regina, 27 in north central, 23 in north west, 22 in south west, 14 in far north east, 13 in south east, 10 in central east, nine each in far north west and north east, eight in south central and one in central west. Residence information is still pending for two new infections.
In the province, 123 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19 — 100 are receiving inpatient care and 23 are in intensive care. This is the highest amount of hospitalizations to date.
Forty-nine more people have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 4,638.
There is a new record high of 3,879 active cases in the province, health officials said. Active cases are total cases less recoveries and deaths.
Public health estimates there are currently over 6,600 reported contacts requiring follow-up in Saskatchewan based on confirmed cases.
According to the press release, 4,251 COVID-19 tests were performed on Nov. 29 in Saskatchewan. To date, 345,487 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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