Saskatchewan COVID-19 cases on the decline in latest CRISP report

As summer rolls into Saskatchewan, the province is seeing fewer cases COVID-19.

According to the Community Respiratory Illness Surveillance Program (CRISP) for May 25, the number of positive lab tests for COVID-19 decreased from 162 cases between April 9-22, to 93 cases between April 23 and May 20.

The province said COVID-19 hospitalizations have decreased from 324 for the previous four weeks, to 207 for the most recent four weeks.

There are, however, still an average of four COVID-19 deaths each week.

Overall, COVID-19 made up 56 per cent of all respiratory illnesses hospitalizations in the last four weeks.

The CRISP report also outlines the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) has reached the point of inactivity with just two cases in the most recent reporting period, both in adults aged 20-64 years.

RSV hospitalizations have decreased from 18 during the previous four weeks, to eight for the most recent four weeks.

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Influenza on the other hand, has seen increased activity.

Influenza test positivity rose from 2.4 per cent to 4.5 per cent over the past four weeks. Positivity of 2.0 per cent is the inter-seasonal threshold for influenza.

Two influenza outbreaks in high-risk settings were reported in the past month. Influenza hospitalizations have increased from four for the previous four weeks, to 26 in the most recent four weeks.

Influenza hospitalizations have also increased from four to 26 in the last four weeks.

One death due to Influenza was reported in the past four weeks.

The province said the risk of respiratory illnesses is expected to be low during the summer months.