COVID-19 in Sask.: 96 new cases, 1 new death reported Thursday

Saskatchewan reported 96 new cases of COVID-19 and one more death from the illness on Thursday.

A quarter of the new cases were among children under 12, according to the province's online dashboard.

There are now 993 active cases in the province. The total number of deaths due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic is now 915.

There are 142 people with COVID-19 in hospital in Saskatchewan, including 38 in intensive care units in the province. Another six Saskatchewan residents are receiving care in Ontario ICUs.

Of the 142 patients in Saskatchewan hospitals, 69 per cent were not fully vaccinated, according to the dashboard.

The province also reported Thursday that 455 more first vaccine doses have been administered, along with 1,379 second doses.

Those numbers are expected to jump in the days ahead, as the vaccination campaign for kids age five to 11 gets underway.

The province will start including pediatric vaccination data on its dashboard as of Friday, according to the health ministry.

To date, 831,068 Saskatchewan residents are fully vaccinated.

The new cases reported Thursday were in the following health zones:

• Far northeast: two.

• Northwest: five.

• North central: three.

• Northeast: three.

• Saskatoon: 12.

• Central west: one.

• Central east: 19.

• Regina: 20.

• Southwest: six.

• South central: five.

• Southeast: 19.

Residence information is pending for one other new case.