COVID-19: Individuals 70+ eligible for second vaccine dose, province reports 179 new cases

Starting Saturday, residents who are aged 70 and older are eligible to receive their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Saskatchewan.

Residents who received their first dose on or before March 15 can also get a second dose now. Additionally, residents diagnosed with or being treated for cancer and those who have received solid organ transplants will receive a letter of eligibility in the mail that will give them priority access to a second dose.

On Saturday, provincial health officials also reported 179 new COVID-19 cases across Saskatchewan. This brings the provincial total of cases to 46,464.

The new cases were reported in far north west, 5; far north east, 5; north west, 21; north central, 18; north east, 5; Saskatoon, 38; central west, 2; central east, 10; Regina, 27; south west, 11; south central, 19; and south east, 18.

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Across Saskatchewan, 1,408 cases total are considered active.

The seven-day average of new cases is 129, or 10.5 per 100,000.

Health officials also reported one new death on Saturday in the Regina zone. The resident was in their 50s.

There are 113 people in hospital with COVID-19, including 24 in hospital.

Health-care workers administered 12,923 COVID-19 vaccine doses since the province’s last report on Friday. A total of 706,548 vaccine doses have been administered in the province.