COVID-19 in Sask.: 426 new cases, 5 deaths, another hospitalization record

For the second day in a row, five people with COVID-19 have died in Saskatchewan and the province continues to break its own hospitalization records.

The government announced 426 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday — 54 more new cases than reported on Tuesday.

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

As of Wednesday, 265 people with COVID-19 are in hospital in the province, three more than on Tuesday. 

More than three quarters (75.8 per cent) of the patients were not fully vaccinated, according to the province. Fifty-four Saskatchewan residents are currently in intensive care with COVID-19. 

The five latest COVID-19 deaths in the province bring the total since the start of the pandemic to 651.

According to the province, one of the deaths announced Wednesday was in the 40 to 59 age group, two people were aged 60-79, and two were 80 years or older.

The five people died in the following areas: far northwest, north central, Saskatoon, central east and Regina.

The seven-day average of new daily COVID-19 cases is 467, or 38.8 new cases per 100,000. One week ago, the seven-day average on the province's dashboard was at 417, or 34.6 new cases per 100,000.

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

• Far northwest: 15.

• Far northeast: 22.

• Northwest: 60.

• North central: 29.

• Northeast: seven.

• Saskatoon: 91.

• Central west: 14.

• Central east: 42.

• Regina: 64.

• Southwest: 14.

• South central: 16.

• Southeast: 26.

Residence information is pending for 26 other new cases.

Around two-fifths, or 38 per cent, of the new cases were among people 19 years of age and younger, according to the government's update. Almost one in four of the new cases among people age 12 or older were in fully vaccinated people.

As of Wednesday, 4,706 COVID-19 cases in the province were considered active, while 58,058 people have recovered from the illness, the province's dashboard said. 

Saskatoon continues to have the most known active cases of any zone (1,079), followed by the northwest (670) and north central (528) regions.

3,722 more vaccinations

After a drop in new immunization numbers on election day Monday, vaccination numbers were up again the next day, with 3,722 doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered in the province. 

Of those, 2,130 were first doses and 1,592 were second dose, according to the province's dashboard.

As of Wednesday, 720,984 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 3,559 new tests in Wednesday's update, compared to 3,741 on Tuesday.