Latest COVID update Dec. 29: 293 new cases, 4 deaths

Saskatchewan has reported its highest daily total of new COVID-19 cases in more than two months.

The Ministry of Health’s update Wednesday said there were 293 new cases, the most since there were 300 new cases announced Oct. 22.

There were 132 more cases of the Omicron variant detected in Saskatchewan, increasing that total to date to 956 (66 confirmed, 890 probable).

Another four Saskatchewan residents have died due to COVID, increasing the provincial total to date to 951.

Among the latest fatalities were three people in the 60-to-79 age group and one from the 80-and-over age group. Three of the people lived in the southeast zone and the fourth was from the central-east region.

The number of active cases rose to 1,645, its highest mark since it was 1,665 on Nov. 7.

A look at the numbers

The new cases were reported in the Regina (138), Saskatoon (60), south-central (19), central-east (13), southeast (12), central-west (five), northwest (four), northeast (four), far northeast (three), north-central (three), southwest (two) and far northwest (one) zones. The hometowns of 29 cases are pending.

Regina’s new cases were detected in just 450 tests.

Four people who tested positive outside Saskatchewan were added to the province’s total, which now stands at 83,855.

The new cases included 157 people who were considered fully vaccinated, with 57 of those people in their 20s. There also were 134 unvaccinated people — including 34 kids under the age of 11 — and two individuals who were partially vaccinated.

The seven-day average of new COVID cases rose to 200, or 16.6 per 100,000 people. It hasn’t been that high since it was 203 on Oct. 30.

The 76 recoveries reported increased that total so far to 81,259.

There were 83 COVID patients in Saskatchewan hospitals, with 68 receiving inpatient care and 15 in intensive care. Hospitalizations increased by three from Tuesday’s report, but ICU cases dropped by one.

The 925 vaccinations done in the province in the latest reporting period comprised 376 first shots and 549 second doses.

To date, nearly 1.8 million COVID vaccinations have been done in Saskatchewan, including more than 855,000 second shots.