Latest COVID update Nov. 12

Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer is to announce Friday additional public health measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.

In a media release Thursday, the Ministry of Health said Dr. Saqib Shahab is “currently considering” the measures. They’re to be unveiled Friday at 11:30 a.m.

In addition to measures previously set out in public health orders, Shahab recently ordered mandatory mask use in indoor public places in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.

He also ordered a reduction in the maximum number of people who can attend private indoor gatherings, dropping the limit from 15 to 10.

The news Thursday came on the same day Saskatchewan set a new single-day high with 49 people in hospital. The province also reported 111 new cases, its sixth straight day with a triple-digit total.

There have been 815 cases reported in that span. The total in the province since March is now 4,437.

The new cases reported Thursday included 25 in the Regina region and 24 in the Saskatoon area. The other cases were recorded in the far north-central (eight), north-central (eight), central-east (seven), northwest (seven), southeast (seven), far northeast (six), far northwest (five), south-central (five) and southwest (four) zones.

The hometowns of five of the new cases are pending.

There were 15 recoveries reported, increasing that total so far to 2,949. To date, 29 Saskatchewan residents have died after contracting COVID-19.

The number of active cases being reported in the province now stands at an all-time high of 1,459. That total includes 444 active cases in the Saskatoon area, 309 in the Regina region, 201 in the north-central zone and 117 in the northwest.

On Sept. 30, Saskatchewan’s active caseload was 139.

There are 13 people in intensive care in Saskatchewan hospitals. There are seven in Saskatoon, two in each of the north-central and central-east zones, and one in each of the Regina and northwest regions.

Of the 36 people receiving inpatient care, 20 are in the Saskatoon area, five are in the north-central zone, three are in the Regina region, three are in the northeast, two are in the southeast, one is in the northwest, one is in the southwest and one is in the far northwest.

On Thursday, the number of community contacts included in the total number of cases to date went over 2,000 for the first time. It now stands at 2,014.

The total also includes 1,048 cases that are under investigation, 974 that don’t have any known exposures, and 401 travellers.

So far, 127 health-care workers have contracted the virus. That total has increased by 28 this month alone.

Demograpically, the total number of cases includes 1,641 in the 20-to-39 age range, 1,242 from ages 40 to 59, 900 involving people 19 and under, 544 between the ages of 60 and 79, and 110 aged 80 and over.

There have been 1,232 cases in the Saskatoon area, 920 from the north area, 667 in the Regina region, 593 from the south, 554 in the far north, and 455 from the central zone. The hometowns of 16 cases are being determined.

There were 2,145 tests processed in Saskatchewan on Wednesday. That increased the province’s total to date to 289,366.

The province did 2,885 tests during the week of Nov. 2-8 on those aged 19 and under and five per cent of those came back positive.

There now are 286 active cases among children and youth in Saskatchewan.