Latest COVID update Jan. 26: Record highs of 14 deaths, 839 recoveries

For the second time in less than a week, Saskatchewan has set a single-day high for deaths due to COVID-19.

In a media release Tuesday, the Ministry of Health said 14 residents of the province had died as a result of the coronavirus.

The previous high of 13 was recorded last Thursday.

The deaths reported Tuesday increased the total in Saskatchewan to date to 268. There have been 113 COVID-related deaths in the province in January alone.

“This is unfortunately a sad reminder that this is a dangerous and very deadly disease that we are dealing with,” Premier Scott Moe said during a media conference, “and that we all need to follow all of the public health orders and guidelines to keep ourselves and keep those around us safe.”

The deaths reported Tuesday included one person in their 40s (from the north-central zone), two individuals in their 50s (one each from the Regina and Saskatoon zones), two people in their 60s (both from the Saskatoon area) and three people in their 70s (one from each of the Regina, Saskatoon and southeast regions).

There also were six people from the 80-and-over age group, including two from the Saskatoon area and one from each of the Regina, far northwest, north-central and southeast zones.

The province also reported a daily record of 839 recoveries, breaking the previous mark of 813 set last Thursday.

The number of active cases in Saskatchewan fell to 2,665, its lowest mark since it was 2,537 on Nov. 21. The active caseload has fallen by 40 per cent from its peak of 4,753 on Dec. 7.

There were 232 new cases reported Tuesday, which lowered the province’s seven-day average of new cases to 254 (20.7 per 100,000 population).

That average, Moe noted, is down 20 per cent from its peak of 321 on Jan. 12.

The new cases were in the Saskatoon (47), Regina (46), northwest (45), north-central (31), far northwest (23), northeast (seven), southeast (six), far northeast (four), central-east (four), far north-central (three), central-west (three) and south-central (two) areas. The hometowns of 11 cases are being determined.

“This gradual decline means that our current public health orders that are in place and the restrictions that we have are working, but we need to leave them in place for a while longer,” said Moe, whose government opted to extend the existing public health order until Feb. 19.

Two cases that previously were on the province’s total have been determined to be out-of-province cases and have been removed. Saskatchewan’s total to date is 22,646 cases.

There are 208 people in hospital, including 88 in the Saskatoon area (73 inpatient, 15 in intensive care).

The number of ICU cases in the province is 33, comprising those in the Saskatoon region, 11 in the Regina area, two in each of the northwest and north-central regions, and one in each of the central-east, southwest and south-central zones.

The 2,160 COVID tests processed in the province on Monday increased the total to date to 495,292.

There were 362 COVID vaccinations done in Saskatchewan on Monday — 241 in the Saskatoon area, 66 in the northwest, 23 in the northeast, 22 in the far northwest and 10 in the central-east zone.

The provincial total of 34,080 vaccinations to date includes an additional 365 doses that weren’t included in previous totals.

Saskatchewan isn’t receiving any new doses of COVID vaccines this week due to production issues. However, Moe said more than 12,000 doses are expected next week.

The 5,850 doses of the Pfizer vaccine that are to be delivered are destined for Saskatoon, Regina, North Battleford, Yorkton and Swift Current, where they’re to be administered to long-term care home residents and staff.

The 6,500 Moderna doses are slated to go to the far northeast, far northwest and northeast zones, where they’re to be given as second shots for the people who previously received a dose. Some doses also will go to the central-west zone as first doses.

Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province’s chief medical health officer, said there have been between 10 and 15 adverse reactions to the vaccine so far.