Saskatchewan’s active COVID-19 cases have decreased and now sit at 2,408. This is the lowest number reported since April 10, when there were 2,381 active cases in the province.
In the daily update, the death toll rose by one — there have now been 487 COVID-19-related deaths in Saskatchewan since the pandemic began. The recently deceased was in the 80-plus age group and from the north west zone, according to a press release.
Health officials said on Thursday there were 205 new cases, with the overall infection total in Saskatchewan now at 40,824. Regina leads the province with 73 new infections.
The seven-day average of new daily infections is down to 239 from 245 on Wednesday. This is the lowest average reported since April 10 when it was 235.
According to the provincial government, 128 new variants of concern (VOC) cases have been identified in Saskatchewan while the total (6,572) is reported as follows: far north west (96), far north east (3), north west (185), north central (104), north east (14), Saskatoon (730), central west (81), central east (290), Regina (3,632), south west (178), south central (496) and south east (682) zones. The residences of 81 VOC cases are pending.
The province’s hospitals are currently providing care for 186 patients with COVID-19 — 148 are receiving inpatient care and 38 are in intensive care.
The total number of people who have recovered from the virus has grown to 37,929 following 244 more recoveries, provincial health officials said.
According to the press release, 3,306 COVID-19 tests were performed on Wednesday. To date, 765,871 tests have been carried out in the province.
A total of 421,981 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.