COVID-19 in Sask.: 372 new cases, 5 deaths, another hospitalization record

Five more people with COVID-19 have died in Saskatchewan and the province continues to see a rise in hospitalization numbers.

The government reported 372 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday — 146 fewer new cases than reported on Monday. Overall there have been 3,320 new cases of COVID-19 reported from Sept. 15 to Sept. 21.

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

As of Tuesday, 262 people with the disease are in hospital in the province, 54 of them in intensive care. 

Almost three quarter, or 73.7 per cent, of the hospitalized people were not fully vaccinated. Four of the patients are children under 11 years of age, according to the province. Those four kids are not in ICUs.

The five latest COVID-19 deaths in the province bring the total since the start of the pandemic to 646. A total of nineteen people with COVID-19 died within the last week, from Sept. 15 to Sept. 21, the government said in a news release on Tuesday.

According to the province, one of the deaths announced Tuesday was in the 20 to 30 age group, two were aged 60 to 79, and two were over 80.

The five people with COVID-19 died in the following areas: Far northwest (one), north central (one), central east (one), and southwest (two).

The seven-day average of new daily COVID-19 cases is 474, or 39.4 new cases per 100,000. One week ago, the seven-day average on the province's dashboard was at 407, or 33.7 new cases per 100,000.

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

• Far northwest: nine.

• Far north central: three. 

• Far northeast: 41.

• Northwest: 42.

• North central: 46.

• Northeast: 11.

• Saskatoon: 50.

• Central west: 13.

• Central east: 17.

• Regina: 49.

• Southwest: 14.

• South central: 14.

• Southeast: 18.

Residence information is pending for 45 other new cases.

Almost 30 per cent of the new cases were in the 20 to 39 age category, according to the government's update. Approximately one in five of the new cases among people age 12 or older were in fully vaccinated people.

As of Tuesday, 4,700 COVID-19 cases in the province were considered active, while 57,643 people have recovered from the illness, the province's dashboard said. 

Saskatoon most known active cases of any zone (1,129), followed by the northwest (656) and north central (567) regions.

Children and COVID-19

According to the province, a recent review of 1,643 confirmed cases of all ages between Aug. 20 and Sept. 7 showed that 98 per cent of school-aged COVID-19 cases lived in unvaccinated or partly vaccinated households.

The review included 334 children between six and 19 years of age, with the majority of the group aged six to 12. 

While children in Canada under 12 years of age are currently not eligible to be vaccinated, the Saskatchewan government said recent news on clinical trials has been encouraging.

"The province will move quickly to provide COVID-19 vaccine to additional age groups as soon as any vaccine receives Health Canada approvals."

840 more vaccinations

On election day Monday, health-care workers administered another 840 vaccinations in the province, including 420 first doses and 420 second doses.

As of Tuesday, 719,392 people in Saskatchewan, or 71 per cent of residents 12 and older, 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 in one-and-a-half weeks, on Oct. 1, 2021.

The province also reported 3,741 new tests in Tuesday's update, compared to 3,940 on Monday.