Latest COVID update April 2: Variants continue to spread, active cases climb over 2,000

COVID variant cases continue to spread in Saskatchewan.

In its daily update Friday, the Ministry of Health reported that 269 new variant cases have been identified in the province.

So far, there have been 1,951 variant infections in Saskatchewan in the Regina (1,419), south-central (151), southeast (127), Saskatoon (72), central-east (30), north-central (12), central-west (eight), southwest (seven) and far northeast (two) areas.

The Queen City continues to be the hotspot for new infections. It reported 112 of the province’s 254 new cases Friday.

The other new cases are in the Saskatoon (36), southeast (31), south-central (22), central-east (eight), north-central (12), northwest (13), northeast (nine), far northeast (three) and far northwest (one) zones. The location is still under investigation for seven new cases. One previously reported case was assigned to each of the Regina and northwest zones.

One person died with the virus. They were from the Saskatoon area in the 60-69 age range, raising the total number of deaths since the pandemic hit to 437.

There were 150 new recoveries. Since those were outweighed by the new cases, the active total rose to 2,053. It’s the highest such total since Feb. 9, when it sat at 2,026.

There are 193 people in hospital with 37 in the ICU in the Regina (23), Saskatoon (9) and north-central (two) areas, while the central-east, northwest and south-central zones all have one person in ICU.

A new single-day high for COVID tests was set at 4,780, raising the total since last March to 674,211.

Vaccination update

Another 8,109 vaccines were administered, raising the total doses so far to 208,742.

They were given in the Saskatoon (2,225), Regina (1,911), central-east (1,599), northeast (604), north-central (500), northwest (413), far northwest (242), southwest (242), southeast (224), far northeast (138) and central-west (11) regions.

About a fifth of people in their 80’s have now received both of their vaccine doses.

The remaining Moderna doses from their March 22 shipment are expected to show up in Saskatchewan Saturday and next Wednesday.