4 new deaths, 345 more recovered from coronavirus in Saskatchewan

For the fifth straight day, Saskatchewan has reported new coronavirus-related deaths.

Four people who tested positive for COVID-19 have died, bringing the province’s total up to 75.

Two of the deceased were in the 80-plus age group and were from the Regina and south central zones, according to a press release.  It said the other two, in their 30s and 50s, were in north central and north east.

Health officials said there were 324 new cases in the daily update on Thursday, with the overall total for the province growing to 11,223 since the first case was reported in March. They added the new seven-day average of daily cases is 283.

In the province, 138 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19 — 107 are receiving inpatient care and 31 are in intensive care.

Officials said 345 more people have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 6,466.

There are currently 4,682 active cases in the province, health officials said. Active cases are total cases less recoveries and deaths.

According to the press release, 3,476 COVID-19 tests were performed on Wednesday in Saskatchewan. To date, 375,881 tests have been carried out in the province.

1:00 Saskatchewan to receive 1,950 initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine

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.