COVID-19 in Sask.: 460 new cases, 7 deaths, another hospitalization record

Seven more people with COVID-19 have died in Saskatchewan and the province has broken another hospitalization record for the fifth straight day.

The seven latest COVID-19 deaths in the province bring the total since the start of the pandemic to 658. According to the government, a total of 17 people have died over three days in Saskatchewan.

Three of the deaths announced on Thursday were in the 60 to 79 age group and four were 80 or older.

According to the province, the seven people died in the following areas: northwest (three), north central (one), northeast (one), central east (one), and south central (one).

The government announced 460 new COVID-19 cases Thursday — 34 more than reported on Wednesday. 

As of Wednesday, Saskatchewan was leading the provinces in rate of cases with 524 per 100,000 people over the last 14 days. According to the Canadian government, only the rate of cases in the Northwest Territories, 691 per 100,000 people, and on First Nations reserves, 584 per 100,000 population, were higher in the country.

Hospital numbers continue to climb in Saskatchewan, setting a new record for the fifth day in a row, according to the province's online COVID-19 dashboard.

As of Thursday, 273 people with COVID-19 are in hospital in the province, eight more than on Wednesday.

Of the 273 people in hospital, 58 are in intensive care. That's the most COVID-19 patients in ICUs that the province has had. The second most was reported last Monday (56).

Two-hundred seven of the COVID-19 patients, or 75.8 per cent, were not fully vaccinated, according to the province. 

The seven-day average of new daily COVID-19 cases is 470, or 39 new cases per 100,000. One week ago, the seven-day average on the province's dashboard was at 439, or 36.4 new cases per 100,000.

Thursday's new cases are located in the following zones:

• Far northwest: eight.

• Far north central: five.

• Far northeast: ten.

• Northwest: 53.

• North central: 36.

• Northeast: eight.

• Saskatoon: 123.

• Central west: six.

• Central east: 28.

• Regina: 59.

• Southwest: 38.

• South central: 18.

• Southeast: 47.

Residence information is pending for 21 other new cases.

More than one-third, or 35.9 per cent, of new cases were among people 19 years of age and younger, according to the government's update. 

One in six of the new cases among people age 12 and older were in fully vaccinated people.

As of Thursday, 4,715 COVID-19 cases in the province were considered active, the second highest number of active cases recorded in Saskatchewan, the government's dashboard said. The highest number of active cases reported in the province was 4,763 on Dec. 7, 2020.

As of Thursday, Saskatoon continues to have the most known active cases of any zone (1,100), followed by the northwest (611) and north central (521) regions.

4,933 more vaccinations

Daily vaccination numbers are up again for the second day in a row, with 4,933 doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered in Saskatchewan.

Of those, 2,836 were first doses and 2,097 were second doses, according to the province's dashboard.

As of Thursday, 723,081 people in Saskatchewan are now fully vaccinated, the government said.

The province's requirement for a proof of vaccination or negative test to access a list of establishments and event venues will come into effect next week on Oct. 1, 2021.

The province also reported 3,874 new tests in Thursday's update, compared to 3,559 on Wednesday.