2 new deaths, 7-day average of coronavirus infections over 200 in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan added two coronavirus-related deaths for a total of 160, according to the provincial government on Monday.

One of the recently deceased who had tested positive for COVID-19 was reported in the 80-plus age group and from the far north east zone while the other was in their 70s and from north east zone, according to a press release.

Health officials said there were a total of 286 new cases in Monday’s update, with the overall total for the province growing to 16,367 since the first case was reported in March 2020.

The new seven-day average of daily cases is up to 209. This figure had been below 200 since Dec. 25, 2020.

According to a press release, most of the new cases are located in the north central zone with 63, while there are 48 in Regina, 46 in far north east, 41 in Saskatoon, 18 in far north west, 17 in north west, nine in south east, eight each in central east and south central, five each in north east and central west as well as one each in far north central and south west. Residence information is still pending for 16 new infections.

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In Saskatchewan, 180 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19 — 145 are receiving inpatient care and 35 are in intensive care.

There are currently 3,027 active cases in the province, health officials said. Active cases are total cases less recoveries and deaths.

Officials said 96 more people have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 13,180.

According to the press release, 1,485 COVID-19 tests were performed on Monday in Saskatchewan. To date, 435,642 tests have been carried out in the province.

Provincial government officials said 4,013 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine were provided as of Jan. 4 as part of the pilot program in Regina and as part of the vaccine delivery plan’s first phase in Saskatoon.

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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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