Five more people who tested positive for COVID-19 have died, bringing Saskatchewan’s total to 165.
The recently deceased were all in the 80-plus age group with two in the Regina zone and the rest in north central, north east and south central, according to a press release from the provincial government on Tuesday.
Health officials said there were a total of 153 new cases in Tuesday’s update, with the overall total for the province growing to 16,520 since the first coronavirus case was reported in March 2020. The new seven-day average of daily cases is up to 214.
According to a press release, most of the new cases are located in the Regina zone with 39, while there are 33 in Saskatoon, 14 in north central, 13 each in north west and central east, eight in far north west, six each in far north east and south east, five in north east as well as one each in central west and south central. Residence information is still pending for 14 new infections.
In Saskatchewan, 166 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19 — 135 are receiving inpatient care and 31 are in intensive care.
There are currently 3,057 active cases in the province, health officials said. Active cases are total cases less recoveries and deaths.
Officials said 120 more people have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 13,298.
According to the press release, 1,779 COVID-19 tests were performed on Monday in Saskatchewan. To date, 437,421 tests have been carried out in the province.
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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