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For the first time in more than a month, the number of active COVID-19 cases being reported in Saskatchewan has fallen below 3,000.
In a media release Wednesday, the Ministry of Health said there were 2,949 active cases. That’s the lowest that figure has been since Nov. 24, when 2,927 active cases were reported.
The number of active cases dropped because recoveries (378) once again outnumbered new cases (147).
The province also announced the COVID-related deaths of three residents, all from the Saskatoon region. One individual was in their 30s, one was in their 60s and one was in the 80-and-over age group.
That increased the provincial death toll due to the virus to 154.
The new cases were reported in the Regina (44), far northeast (25), southeast (17), Saskatoon (13), north-central (10), northwest (nine), central-east (seven), northeast (five), far northwest (four), south-central (three) and southwest (two) regions. The hometowns of eight cases are unknown.
Nine cases that previously were included in Saskatchewan’s total have been found to be out-of-province residents and have been removed from the province’s count. The total number of cases in Saskatchewan since March is now 15,160.
The seven-day average of daily new cases is 152, or 12.5 per 100,000 population. During a conference call Wednesday, Health Minister Paul Merriman pointed out the seven-day average was 292 on Dec. 12.
“Our new case numbers in Saskatchewan have continued to drop over the past week,” he said. “This may be partially due to fewer people getting tested over the Christmas holiday, but the new case numbers have definitely been trending in the right direction over the past couple of weeks …
“These case numbers are still much higher than we would like, but they are trending in the right direction. The restrictions that we have in place are working, so I want to thank everyone in Saskatchewan for continuing to follow all of the public health orders and guidelines, particularly over the holiday season.”
The province instituted new measures in mid-December in hopes of curbing the spread of the virus over the holidays. While officials believe they have had an impact on case numbers, the province also has done fewer tests of late.
On Tuesday, for example, 1,475 tests were processed in the province.
“While our overall numbers have been trending lower, our test positivity rate still remains high, between seven and nine per cent,” Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, said Wednesday.
“While we’re obviously very happy that our overall daily case numbers have remained stable, the test positivity does show that there is a bit of a concern.”
The recoveries reported Wednesday increased that total to date to 12,057.
There are 151 people in Saskatchewan hospitals. That includes 32 in intensive care, with 13 in Saskatoon, 10 in Regina, five in the north-central area, two in the northwest, and one in each of the central-east and southwest zones.
The 119 people receiving inpatient care are spread between the Saskatoon (50), Regina (28), north-central (22), northwest (eight), central-east (four), northeast (two), far northwest (one), far north-central (one), central-west (one), southwest (one) and southeast (one) zones.
As of Tuesday, 2,942 doses of the Pfizer COVID vaccine had been given to health-care workers in Regina and Saskatoon. That was an increase of 571 from the previous report.
Even so, the number of health-care workers to contract the disease continues to rise. It now stands at 710, an increase of 100 in the past week alone.
Of the total number of cases in Saskatchewan to date, 4,264 have been from the Saskatoon area, 3,661 have been in the north, 2,968 cases have been in the Regina region, 1,683 have been in the far north, 1,570 have been from the south, and 927 have been in the central region. The hometowns of 87 cases are pending.
The total comprises 5,431 cases in the 20-to-39 age range, 3,886 from ages 40 to 59, 3,193 involving people 19 and under, 1,972 between the ages of 60 and 79, and 673 in the 80-and-over age range. The ages of five cases require confirmation.
The 1,475 tests processed in the province on Tuesday increased the total to date to 424,533.
As was reported previously, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s drive-through testing sites in Regina and Saskatoon are to change their hours in the coming days. Those hours can be found here.
