Saskatchewan had its third-highest number of COVID-19 cases of 2021 on Wednesday along with two new deaths.
According to the provincial government’s dashboard, there were 405 new cases, bringing the overall infection total in Saskatchewan to 57,243. The seven-day average of new daily infections grew to 362 from 350 on Tuesday.
The recently deceased who tested positive for the virus were in the 80-plus age group.
The province’s hospitals are currently providing care for 181 patients with COVID-19: 149 are receiving inpatient care and 32 are in intensive care units. This is the most hospitalizations since April 29, when there were 186.
Saskatchewan’s active infections have increased and now sit at 3,331. It is the highest number since Jan. 20, when it was 3,702. The Saskatoon zone leads the province with 968.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Saskatchewan government said it continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation in our province and consult with chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab as the situation evolves.
“Premier Moe and Minister Merriman are further engaging with the Saskatchewan Health Authority regarding the recent increase in hospitalization numbers and the ongoing capacity of the healthcare system,” read the statement.
“Moe will have more to say on this in the coming days.”
The number of recoveries from the virus has grown by 256 to a total of 53,297.
According to the dashboard, 3,387 COVID-19 tests were performed on Tuesday. To date, 1,049,289 tests have been carried out in the province.
A total of 1,490,806 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Saskatchewan, provincial government officials said. The dashboard showed that 327 of Wednesday’s 405 new cases were people who were unvaccinated.
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.