While new infections of COVID-19 continue, the number of people being vaccinated against the disease is ramping up.
The Government of Saskatchewan said in a release Saturday that 3,722 Pfizer vaccines have been administered to health-care workers in Regina and Saskatoon. With 4,900 doses of Moderna vaccines on the way, regions in the far north will start vaccinations to populations of priority next week.
Three more people have died in Saskatchewan and there are 485 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the new year, according to the provincial government.
Of the three COVID-19-related deaths, a pair were in the 80 plus age group from the Saskatoon and Regina zones while the other was in the 50-59 age range from the North Central zone, bringing the total deaths to 158.
Of the 485 new confirmed cases — 275 on Jan. 1 and 210 from Jan. 2. It brings the total cases in the province to 15,845. Of those, 2,712 cases are considered active.
The far northeast zone saw the most new cases with 90, followed by the Regina zone with 81. Saskatoon had 75 new cases.
There were 479 new recoveries, upping that total to 12,975.
One hundred and sixty people are in hospital, with 33 in intensive care.
As of Saturday, 432,054 COVID-19 tests have been completed and processed in Saskatchewan.
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.