Latest COVID update April 9: New case total highest since mid-January

Saskatchewan announced 358 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday — the highest daily total in nearly three months.

The last time the number was that high was Jan. 15, when 382 cases were reported.

The Ministry of Health also announced six more deaths due to COVID, including four people from the 70-to-79 age group (two in the Regina zone and one in each of the Saskatoon and southeast regions).

A person in their 40s from the Regina region and an individual in the 80-and-over age group from the Regina zone also died.

The new cases were in the Regina (108), Saskatoon (64), southeast (63), northwest (30), central-east (19), north-central (14), south-central (eight), northeast (seven), far northwest (six), southwest (four) and central-west (three) zones.

The Saskatoon total was twice the number of new cases reported in that area Thursday. The cases in the southeast increased nearly threefold, from 23 on Thursday.

The hometowns of 32 new cases are pending. Fourteen Saskatchewan residents who tested positive outside of the province have been added to the province’s total count, which now stands at 35,748.

The seven-day average of daily new cases climbed to 242, or 19.7 per 100,000 population.

There were 138 new cases of variants of concerns identified by screening, including 82 in the Regina region. That area has 2,189 of the 3,086 variant cases currently being reported in the province.

There were 160 recoveries reported, increasing that total so far to 32,958. There are 2,337 cases that are considered active — the highest number since there were 2,363 active cases on Feb. 7.

There are 206 people in Saskatchewan hospitals, including 43 in intensive care units. That group includes 25 people in Regina, seven in Saskatoon, five in the north-central zone and three in each of the central-east and south-central areas.

There are a total of 107 COVID patients in Regina-area hospitals.

The 3,914 tests done in the province Thursday increased the total so far to 697,515.

Vaccination update

A single-day record 11,634 doses of COVID vaccine were administered in the province on Thursday, increasing the total so far to 256,280.

The latest shots were given in the Saskatoon (3,328), Regina (1,716), north-central (987), northeast (977), northwest (835), southeast (783), central-east (782), south-central (685), southwest (464), far northwest (370), central-west (244), far northeast (171) and far north-central (one) zones.

The hometowns of 291 people who received vaccinations are still being determined.

New outdoor guidelines set out

The province has changed some guidelines for outdoor activities.

It’s still recommended that child and youth day camps be held online, but the government says multiple groups of eight can participate in activities like sports, music, art, dance, drama and educational programs where space is available,

When campgrounds open, they can do so to 100 per cent capacity for overnight stays and limited-term campsites. Parks, playgrounds and swimming pools can be used, provided everything complies with public health orders.

When it comes to golf, tee times must be a minimum of eight minutes apart — down from 10 minutes at the end of last season. Tournaments are allowed, but all awards presentations and receptions must be done virtually.

“Additional guidelines are expected to be announced over the next couple of weeks, including youth and individual sports activities,” the government said in its release.