Murray Wood: Who's hot and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the big news stories and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list ...
The number of active COVID-19 cases being reported in Saskatchewan fell under 600 on Saturday.
In its daily update, the Ministry of Health reported 61 new cases, 71 recoveries and one death. That left the active caseload at 597, the first time it had dipped below 600 since it was 574 on Oct. 24.
The death of a person in their 40s from the Regina region increased the province’s total number of fatalities due to COVID to 566.
There were 23,323 doses of COVID vaccine administered in Saskatchewan in the latest reporting period, with 21,098 of them second doses. It’s the 27th straight day that second shots exceeded first shots in the province.
However, the 2,225 first shots administered finally got Saskatchewan to 70 per cent of those 12 and over vaccinated.
A look at the numbers
The new cases were reported in the Saskatoon (15), northwest (12), far northwest (10), Regina (seven), southeast (six), north-central (three), central-west (three), south-central (two), far northeast (one) and central-east (one). The hometown of one new case is being investigated.
Two out-of-province residents were removed from Saskatchewan’s total, while one person tested outside the province was added to the total. So far, there have been 48,706 COVID cases in Saskatchewan.
The seven-day average of new COVID cases stands at 50, or 4.0 per 100,000 population.
There were 34 new cases of COVID variants of concern reported, increasing the total to date to 12,091.
Saskatchewan’s intensive care units now are housing 10 COVID patients, with four in Saskatoon and two in each of the Regina, northwest and north-central regions.
That’s the fewest people in Regina’s ICUs since there were two on Feb. 21.
The latest recoveries increase that total so far to 47,543.
The 1,905 COVID tests done in Saskatchewan on Friday hiked that total to date to 911,418.
Vaccination update
The latest vaccinations increased the total in the province so far to 1,092,980. To date, 374,384 people have received both shots and are considered fully vaccinated.
The shots reported Saturday were administered in the Saskatoon (6,732), Regina (4,770), central-east (2,219), southeast (2,128), north-central (1,480), south-central (1,309), northwest (1,019), southwest (923), northeast (871), central-west (657), far northwest (330), far northeast (225) and far north-central (10) zones.
The hometowns of 650 recipients are pending.
So far, 80 per cent of Saskatchewan residents over the age of 40 have received their first dose, with 75 per cent of those 30 and up and 71 per cent of those 18 and over also vaccinated with one shot.
