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Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 vaccine supply running dry, 12K doses expected next week

Click to play video: 'Coronavirus: Saskatchewan premier says province ‘virtually out’ of vaccines, but more coming'
Coronavirus: Saskatchewan premier says province ‘virtually out’ of vaccines, but more coming
WATCH: Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe on Tuesday warned that the province was "virtually out" of COVID-19 vaccines and it would result in the vaccination program being "stalled" for a number of days, though they are expecting more vaccine doses next week – Jan 26, 2021

The Saskatchewan government is running dry of its COVID-19 vaccine supply, in an announcement made on Tuesday by Premier Scott Moe.

Moe said there still remains a small number of vaccines that have been delivered, but not yet administered.

“Unfortunately, we are virtually out of vaccines and with no new shipments coming this week,” Moe said.

“Our vaccination program will be stalled for the next number of days. Next week, we are expecting over 12,000 additional vaccine doses.”

5,850 of those doses will be from Pfizer and will be delivered to Saskatoon, Regina, North Battleford, Yorkton and Swift Current.

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“We made a lot of progress in our vaccination program over the past few weeks, but we continue to be limited by the slow pace of vaccine deliveries to and from the federal government,” Moe said.

He said Saskatchewan has the highest percentage of vaccines administered and the second-highest per-capita rate of vaccinations completed among any of the Canadian provinces.

“This will allow us to continue vaccinating our long-term care residents, staff and others that are over 70 years of age,” Moe said.

“There will be 6,500 more Moderna doses that will be sent to the far north west, the far north east, the north east regions of the province to provide second shots for people that have already received their first vaccination dose.

“It will also be provided to the central west region to start administering first shots.”

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Moe said health-care workers will continue to administer thousands of shots a day once the province receives more vaccines.

“We will continue to press the federal government to do everything that they can to deliver more and more vaccines to Saskatchewan communities more quickly and also to look to approving additional types of COVID-19 vaccines for use here in Canada,” Moe said.

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On Tuesday, the government said it administered 362 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, which brings the total vaccinations in the province to 34,080 to date.

As of Monday, the government added, 104 per cent of the doses of the vaccine have been administered. The province said the overage is “due to efficiencies in drawing extra doses from vials of vaccine received.”

Twenty-two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the far north west, 23 in the north east, 66 in the north west, 10 in central east and 241 in Saskatoon.

Click to play video: 'Vaccine shortage means delay in second doses'
Vaccine shortage means delay in second doses

The province also announced 232 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the average of daily cases down to 254, which is the lowest average since Jan. 8 when it was 248.

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Despite numbers trending downwards, Moe and Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shabab ask residents to continue to follow public health orders in place.

“You shouldn’t be complacent. You still have to observe this practice and still do testing whenever you have any concerns or any symptoms because that’s the best way to keep accurate numbers low,” Shahab said.

On Tuesday, the province said 14 more people who tested positive with COVID-19 died.

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