Saskatchewan added one COVID-19-related death for a total of 419, the provincial government said on Tuesday.
The recently deceased was reported in their 60s and from the south central zone, according to a press release.
The provincial government said 891 variants of concern (VOC) cases — which were previously reported as “presumptive” positives — have been identified in Saskatchewan as of Tuesday. Officials said all screening tests will be considered confirmed VOCs for the purposes of public reporting and contact investigations.
Of the 360 VOCs with confirmed lineages identified by whole-genome sequencing, 352 are B.1.1.7 and eight are B1.351. The Regina zone accounts for 87 per cent or 312 of the VOC cases with confirmed lineage, read the release.
Public health officials said there were 150 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday with the overall infection total in Saskatchewan now at 31,991. The new seven-day average of daily cases is down slightly from 159 on Monday to 158.
The province’s hospitals are currently providing care for 152 patients with COVID-19 — 126 are receiving inpatient care and 26 are in intensive care.
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Active cases, which are total cases minus recoveries and deaths, now sit at 1,472 in Saskatchewan, according to the press release.
The total number of people who have recovered from the virus has grown to 30,100 following 152 more recoveries, provincial health officials said.
According to the press release, 3,209 COVID-19 tests were performed on Monday. To date, 636,484 tests have been carried out in the province.
A total of 149,209 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Saskatchewan, provincial government 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.
For full COVID-19 coverage, visit the Global News coronavirus web page.
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