Saskatchewan reported its highest one-day daily total of new COVID-19 cases in nearly nine months.
The province reported 418 new cases on Friday. The last time this many new daily cases were reported in the province was on Dec. 6, 2020, when 419 cases were reported.
Of those new cases, health officials said about one in seven (13.2 per cent) were fully vaccinated.
The new cases bring the total number of COVID-19 cases to 55,396.
Saskatoon continues to be the hot spot in the province, with 131 new cases. There are currently 811 active cases in Saskatchewan’s largest city.
The seven-day average of new COVID-19 case numbers was 302 — 25.1 new cases per 100,000.
That is the highest the seven-day average has been since Jan. 17, when it was 308.
Overall, there were 2,755 active cases as of Friday in the province.
Health officials said of the new cases reported, 34.9 per cent are in the 19 and under age category.
Two new deaths were reported on Friday, one a person between the ages of 60 and 79, and the other a person aged 80-plus. It brings the death toll to 610.
Officials said 135 are in hospital for treatment; 23 are in intensive care.
Prior to Friday’s numbers coming out, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili called for an emergency sitting of the legislature to deal with the rising numbers.
Meili said Premier Scott Moe is ignoring the advice of the province’s chief medical health officer to bring in an indoor mask mandate.
He said the fourth wave is “spiralling out of control.”
“Our emergency rooms are overflowing, ICUs are diverting patients, and cancer patients are being forced to go without care. This is not leadership,” Meili said.
“How many more voices have to be added to those calling for action, how much more damage needs to be done to our health system, how many more lives need to be lost before the premier steps up and shows leadership?”
During a COVID-19 briefing on Monday, Moe said he has no plans to reinstate provincewide public health measures.
“That would be grossly unfair to the vast majority of Saskatchewan residents who have made the right decision and who have (gone) out and gotten themselves vaccinated,” Moe said.
He also encouraged people to get vaccinated, stating the majority of cases in the province are in unvaccinated people.
“That has a lasting impact on how we can manage and live with COVID in the months and years ahead versus a public health measure like a masking mandate, which is a short-term measure,” Moe said.
“And when you pull the masking mandate, ultimately you’re right back where you started and COVID will pick up where it left off.”
Speaking Friday, University of Saskatchewan epidemiologist Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine said the high case count is a clear indicator of the transmissibility of the delta variant.
“The speed at which this Delta variant is going is incredible,” Muhajarine said, adding that Delta is not only more contagious but is making people sicker.
“It’s like a Lamborghini to Alpha’s Toyota Tercel, a Lamborghini that packs a half-tonne punch.”
In order to slow down the fourth wave, Muhajarine said he thinks masks should again be made mandatory in indoor spaces and that more emphasis should be placed on making public places difficult to access for the unvaccinated.
“I think that governments have to really, really step forward to govern, make decisions, take leadership and take control of this pandemic,” he said.
With Saskatchewan lagging behind other provinces in vaccine uptake, Meili also called on the province Friday to do more to incentivize vaccination.
“I see Alberta today is talking about direct payment for people who are getting their vaccine,” he said.
“Do something to get people in the door because where we are now is absolutely unacceptable.”
In a statement Friday afternoon sent in response to those calls to action, meanwhile, the premier reaffirmed that his government will continue to focus on vaccination as a tool to mitigate the pandemic’s impact.
“The Government of Saskatchewan will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and respond accordingly in coordination with Dr. Shahab and our public health officials. The Legislative Assembly will reconvene at its regularly scheduled time in October,” Moe said.
“While the number of new cases reported today in Saskatchewan is concerning, just 55 of those new cases – or about 13 per cent – were among fully vaccinated people. Most of those fully vaccinated cases will likely have only very mild symptoms, or none at all. The path forward is clear: get vaccinated.”
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