Saskatchewan’s active cases continue to fall as one more coronavirus-related death was reported before the new year.
There are currently 2,699 active cases in the province, health officials said. This is the lowest number since Nov. 22 when there were 2,683.
The recently deceased who tested positive for COVID-19 was in the Saskatoon zone and in the 80-plus age group, according to a press release. The death toll in the province is now at 155.
Health officials said there were a total of 190 new cases in Thursday’s update, with the overall total for the province growing to 15,350 since the first case was reported in March. They added the new seven-day average of daily cases is up to 157.
According to a press release, most of the new cases are located in the Saskatoon zone with 47, while there are 37 in north central, 23 in Regina, 22 in far north east, 12 in north west, 10 in south east, nine in far north west, eight in south central, four in central east, three in south west as well as two each in north east and central west. Residence information is still pending for 11 new infections.
Provincial officials said there are 54 active COVID-19 cases among inmates and three among staff at the Regina Correctional Centre as of Thursday, with the number expected to increase.
In the province, 142 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19 — 112 are receiving inpatient care and 30 are in intensive care.
Officials said 439 more people have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 12,496.
According to the press release, 2,198 COVID-19 tests were performed on Wednesday in Saskatchewan. To date, 426,731 tests have been carried out in the province.
Provincial government officials said 3,458 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine were provided up to Wednesday as part of the pilot program in Regina and as part of the vaccine delivery plan’s first phase in Saskatoon.
The province’s daily case update will not be available on Friday, Jan, 1, 2021, and information will be included in the next posting the following day, officials said.
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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