Tuesday, Dec. 8, marks the largest single-day increase in the number of coronavirus-related deaths in Saskatchewan to date, according to the provincial government.
Six deaths were added for a total count of 66 since the pandemic began, according to a press release.
Officials said five of these deceased who tested positive for COVID-19, were in their 80s with three from the Regina zone and one each from the north west and south east. The sixth person, in their 30s, was from north central.
Health officials said there were 183 new cases in the daily update on Tuesday, with the overall total for the province growing to 10,597 since the first case was reported in March. They added the seven-day average of daily cases stayed at 264.
According to the press release, most of the new cases are located in the Saskatoon zone with 62, while there are 30 in north central, 25 in Regina, 18 in north west, 13 in far north west, 10 in far north east, seven in central west, five in north east, four each in central east and south west, and one each in south central and south east. Residence information is still pending for three new infections.
Get weekly health news
There are 4,663 active cases in the province, health officials said. Active cases are total cases less recoveries and deaths.
In the province, 144 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19 — 117 are receiving inpatient care and 27 are in intensive care. This is the most hospitalization to date.
Almost 280 more people have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 5,868.
According to the press release, 2,359 COVID-19 tests were performed on Monday in Saskatchewan. To date, 369,755 tests have been carried out in the province.
Due to a power outage in Regina, the government said it’s postponing the release of Saskatchewan’s vaccine delivery plan, which was expected on Tuesday, until 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
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.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
Comments