COVID-19 in Sask.: 4 more deaths, 329 new cases Friday

Four more Saskatchewan residents who tested positive for COVID-19 have died.

The latest deaths, announced Friday, bring the total number of COVID-19-related deaths in the province to 44.

Three of the deaths involved people in the 80 and over age group, from the north central, Regina and southeast zones. The fourth death involved a person in their 70s from the south central zone.

The province also reported 329 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, 3,263 of which are considered active.

Saskatoon is the hot spot, with 158 new cases. That zone now has over 1,000 active cases.

Regina reported 61 new cases, while there were 23 in the northwest, 21 in the north central zone, 16 in the southwest, 14 in the southeast, 11 in the central east, eight in the far northwest, six in the central west, and four in the far northeast zone.

The northeast and south central zones each reported one new case, while the location of the remaining five new cases is pending.

Four previously announced cases with pending residence information have been assigned to the north central zone, the province said in its Friday update.

The seven-day average of daily new cases is 268 per day — a rate of 22.1 new cases per population of 100,000 people.

The province says 208 more people have recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total recoveries in the province to 4,384.

There are now 111 people in hospital with the illness, 95 of whom are receiving in-patient care.

That includes 32 receiving in-patient care in Saskatoon, 20 in the southeast zone, 16 in Regina, 12 in the north central zone, and eight in the northwest.

There are two patients in each of the central east and southwest zones, and the far northwest, northeast and south central zones each have one COVID-19 patient.

Of the 16 people in intensive care, 11 are in Saskatoon, three are in Regina, one is in the northwest and one is in the southwest.

Rapid testing

The province announced Friday that new rapid point of care testing units are being rolled out in a pilot program for hospitals in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw, as well as mobile testing locations.

The testing produces results in 15 minutes and can quickly determine status of an asymptomatic person, the province says.

It says the testing option will assist with hospital admissions, and discharges to a long-term-care facility.

A rapid antigen test pilot project is also being rolled out to participating long-term care and personal care homes, and to congregate living settings.

The province says results from those tests are also available in 15 minutes, and can be used for recurrent screening of staff and residents.

All rapid positive tests will be presumed positive and will need to be confirmed by a laboratory test for the time being, according to the province.

New restrictions

Under new provincial rules announced earlier in the week, as of Friday, sports competition is suspended and gatherings at restaurants are being further limited.

Limits on private gatherings, such as weddings and funerals, along with places of worship have also come into effect.

No more than four people are allowed to sit together at a table at a restaurant, and tables will need to be separated by three metres unless there are "impermeable barriers" between them, in which case they can be placed two metres apart.

Restaurants also need to keep information about guests or patrons.

All team sports and group activities are suspended, but athletes and dancers 18 years old or under may keep practising in groups of eight or fewer if they use masks and are physically distanced. Fitness activities in groups of eight or fewer are still allowed, with conditions.

All places of worship must reduce capacity to no more than 30 people, and no food or drink can be served. Mandatory non-medical masking is being extended to apply to all students, employees and visitors at schools.

All employees and visitors in common areas in businesses and workplaces, even where the public does not have access, also have to wear a mask.

All residents, employees and visitors in all common areas in provincial and municipal correctional facilities also have to wear a mask.

Capacity is restricted to 30 people at casinos, bingo halls, arenas, live theatres, movie theatres, performing arts venues and other facilities, where capacity was previously 150 people.

Indoor gatherings such as banquets, weddings, funerals, conferences will also have a limit of 30 people, and food and beverage service is prohibited.

The limit for private indoor gatherings will remain at five but the province said "gatherings of any size beyond your immediate household are strongly discouraged at this time."

What's yours? CBC Saskatchewan wants to hear how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted you. Share your story with our online questionnaire.