Saskatchewan reported its second-lowest daily number of new COVID-19 infections so far this year as it added three to its death toll on Monday.
There have been 549 coronavirus-related deaths in the province to date. One of the recently deceased was in their 60s in the north central zone, while the other two were in the north west with one reported in the 19-and-under age group and the other in their 70s, according to the Saskatchewan government.
Health officials said on Monday there were 68 new cases, bringing the overall infection total in Saskatchewan to 47,427. This is the lowest daily increase of infections since Feb. 24 when 56 were reported.
The seven-day average of new daily infections is down to 97 from 103 on June 6. The last time the average was this low was on Nov. 8, 2020.
According to the provincial government, 17 new variants of concern (VOC) cases have been identified in Saskatchewan while the total is reported at 11,253.
The province’s hospitals are currently providing care for 102 patients with COVID-19: 83 are receiving inpatient care and 19 are in intensive care, including one out-of-province transfer from Manitoba.
Active cases, which are total cases minus recoveries and deaths, now sit at 1,142 in Saskatchewan, according to the press release. This is the lowest number reported since Nov. 8, 2020, when it was 1,122.
The total number of people who have recovered from the virus has grown to 45,736 following 119 more recoveries, provincial health officials said.
According to the press release, 1,265 COVID-19 tests were performed on June 6. To date, 875,795 tests have been carried out in the province.
A total of 809,400 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.