Latest COVID update Nov. 18

Another Saskatchewan resident has died after testing positive for COVID-19.

In a media release Wednesday, the Ministry of Health said a person in their 60s who lived in the province’s northeast zone had died.

It’s the 32nd death linked to COVID in the province and the third over the past four days. The deaths of two residents who had tested positive were announced Sunday.

There were 132 new cases reported Wednesday, increasing the provincial total since March to 5,553.

The Saskatoon area recorded 56 of the new cases, with the Regina region next at 18. The remaining cases were in the north-central (10), far north-central (eight), southeast (eight), far northeast (six), northwest (six), northeast (four), south-central (four), southwest (two), far northwest (one) and central-west (one) zones.

The hometowns of eight cases are pending.

One case previously included in Saskatchewan’s total was deemed to be an out-of-province resident and was removed from the province’s total.

There were 86 recoveries reported Wednesday, increasing that total to date to 3,422. The number of active cases being reported in the province is at an all-time high of 2,099.

The number of people in hospital also reached a new high, at 76. That includes 17 people in intensive care, with seven in Saskatoon, four in Regina, three in the north-central area, two in the central-east region and one in the southwest.

Of the 59 people receiving inpatient care, 30 are in Saskatoon, six are in Regina, six are in the north-central area, six are in the southeast, four are in the northwest, four are in the southwest, two are in the northeast and one is in the south-central region.

The number of health-care workers to contract the virus increased by four, to 156. There have been 57 cases among that group since the start of November.

The total number of cases includes 2,419 community contacts, 1,577 that are being investigated, 1,138 that don’t have any known exposures, and 419 travellers.

To date, there have been 1,618 cases from the Saskatoon area, 1,167 from the north region, 808 in the Regina region, 730 from the south, 693 in the far north, and 496 from the central zone. The hometowns of 41 cases remain under investigation.

Since the start of the month, the number of cases in the Saskatoon area has more than doubled; that total was at 802 on Oct. 31. The north zone has experienced an increase of 543 this month, followed by the Regina region (413), the far north (253), the south (230) and the central area (115).

To date, there have been 2,026 cases among those aged 20 to 39, 1,515 in the 40-to-59 age range, 1,165 involving people 19 and under, 685 in the 60-to-79 range, and 157 among those aged 80 and over. The ages of five cases is pending.

Since Oct. 31, there have been 880 cases in the 20-to-39 range, 628 between the ages of 40 and 59, 542 among those 19 and under, 279 in the 60-to-79 range and 75 in the 80-and-over group.

There were 1,619 tests processed in Saskatchewan on Tuesday, increasing the total to date to 305,260.