REGINA -- Saskatchewan reported 156 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and 265 recoveries.

There were no new COVID-19 related deaths to report. This is the first time the province has reported zero deaths since April 20.

There are 2,158 active cases in the province. The seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases is 216, or 17.6 new cases per 100,000 people.

On Thursday Saskatchewan’s test-positivity rate is 4.46 per cent. This is the first time the test positivity rate in the province has dipped below five per cent since March 30.

There were 3,494 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan on Wednesday.

 

New cases are located in the Far Northwest (one), Far Northeast (one), Northwest (11), North Central (31), Northeast (11), Saskatoon (10), Central East (10), Regina (40), Southwest (five), South Central (13), and Southeast (22). One new case is pending location details.

One hundred seventy-three Saskatchewan residents are being treated for COVID-19 in hospital; 132 in inpatient care and 41 in ICU.

VARIANTS OF CONCERN

Saskatchewan identified 115 more COVID-19 variant cases on Thursday.

There were 39 new lineage results reported on Thursday. Out of 3,004 VoC cases identified by whole genome sequencing, 2,962 are B.1.1.1.7 which originated in the U.K., 33 are P.1 which originated in Brazil and nine are B.1.351 which originated in South Africa.

VACCINES DELIVERED

Saskatchewan delivered 10,195 doses of COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday.

 

Sixty-seven per cent of residents over 40 have received their first dose. Forty-six per cent of those over 18 have received their first dose.