COVID-19 in Sask: 9 more deaths including person in 20s, 277 new cases
Nine more Saskatchewan residents who tested positive for COVID-19 have died. There have now been more COVID-19 related deaths in 2021 than in the first five months of the pandemic.
One of the new deaths was a person in the 20 to 29 age group in Regina. Another was someone aged 60 to 69 and in the central west zone, two were in the 80 and older age group in the southeast zone, two people were aged 80 and older in the Regina area, one was in the 80 and older age group in the north central zone, and two were in the Saskatoon area: one in the 60 to 69 age group and one in the 50 to 59 age group.
There are 277 new cases of COVID-19 in the province Wednesday. Saskatchewan's test positivity rate is currently 13.2 per cent.
Seventy of the new cases are in the Regina area, making the Queen's City the hotspot.
Of the remaining new cases, three are located in the far northwest, one is in the far north central, 32 are in the far northeast, 18 are in the northwest, 40 are in the north central, two are in the northeast, 44 are in the Saskatoon area, two are in the central west, four are in the central east, one is in the southwest, two are in the south central and 16 are in the southeast zones.
Forty-two of the new cases have pending residence information
"We must remain cautious, as we were during the holidays, before the holidays and now coming out of the holidays in 2021," said Saskatchewan Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab at a press conference on Wednesday.
"We have unfortunately seen a few transmission events where people did get together over the holidays, even in situations where someone living alone got together with another household," he said.
"The fact that we are seeing transmission events does show why those guidelines are so important over the holidays. Otherwise, we would have seen a significant spike and we are still watching closely for that."
Meanwhile, only 2,097 tests were processed on Tuesday.
As of Monday when other provincial and national numbers were available, Saskatchewan's per capita testing rate was 261,545 people tested per million population.
The national rate was 377,252 people tested per million population.
Hospitalizations
There are 172 people currently in hospital with COVID-19, 143 of whom are receiving in-patient care.
One person is in the far northwest, one is in the far north central, one is in the far northeast, six are in the northwest, 28 are in the north central, three are in the northeast, 37 are in the Saskatoon area, six are in the central east, 48 are in the Regina area, one is in the southwest, two are in the south central and nine are in the southeast zones.
Twenty-nine people are currently in intensive care, with two in the northwest, three in the north central, 10 in the Saskatoon area, one on the central east and 13 in the Regina zone.
Vaccinations
Today the province says it will allocate all remaining Moderna doses received to date to the far northeast and northeast zones.They will be shipped as soon as possible.
Residents and staff of long term care and personal care homes and front-line health care workers will be prioritized.
As of Wednesday, a total of 4,524 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Saskatchewan, including 2,069 Pfizer-BioNTech doses in the Regina pilot program, 2,407 Pfizer-BioNTech doses in Saskatoon, and 48 Moderna doses in the far north east and far north central zones. The province says 3,900 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech are expected to arrive in Prince Albert today.
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