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Coronavirus: Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 death toll hits 130, daily infections slow

Click to play video: 'Officials urge Saskatchewan residents to follow public health measures'
Officials urge Saskatchewan residents to follow public health measures
WATCH: Holiday celebrations will look different with the current public health measures in Saskatchewan. Officials know it will be tough, but say it must be done – Dec 23, 2020

In the past week, Saskatchewan has reported new coronavirus-related deaths every single day.

Five people who tested positive for COVID-19 have died, bringing the province’s total up to 130.

Three recent deaths reported in the 80-plus age group were in the north west, central east and Regina zones, according to a press release. The other two were in their 70s and also in Regina.

Read more: Inmates, organizations concerned as COVID-19 takes hold in Saskatchewan Penitentiary

Health officials said there were 159 new cases in the daily update on Wednesday, with the overall total for the province growing to 14,101 since the first case was reported in March. They added the new seven-day average of daily cases is down to 215.

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According to a press release, most of the new cases are located in the Regina zone with 50, while there are 24 each in north central and north west, 21 in Saskatoon, 14 in far north west, eight each in far north east and north east, three in south west, two in south east as well as one in central east. Residence information is still pending for four new infections.

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Provincial government officials said 1,597 vaccinations were given up to Tuesday as part of the pilot program in Regina and as part of the vaccine delivery plan’s first phase in Saskatoon.

In the province, 125 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19 — 104 are receiving inpatient care and 21 are in intensive care.

Read more: Coronavirus: Phase 1 of delivery plan begins with first COVID-19 vaccinations in Saskatoon

Officials said 249 more people have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 10,121.

There are currently 3,850 active cases in the province, health officials said. Active cases are total cases less recoveries and deaths.

According to the press release, 2,531 COVID-19 tests were performed on Tuesday in Saskatchewan. To date, 413,147 tests have been carried out in the province.

Click to play video: 'Coronavirus: COVID-19 vaccinations begin in Saskatoon'
Coronavirus: COVID-19 vaccinations begin in Saskatoon

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

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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.

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