22 more COVID-19 deaths reported in Sask.

An employee is pictured at the Roy Romanow Provincial Lab. (Courtesy: SHA)

There were 22 more COVID-19 related deaths for the week of May 8-14 along with 465 new laboratory confirmed cases, according to the latest update from the Saskatchewan government.

The province also said that Paxlovid will now be available in 170 pharmacies across the province as well as through select physicians and nurse practitioners.

The drug is only available if prescribed and is an anti-viral treatment for COVID-19.

To see a list of participating pharmacies and eligibility criteria visit, saskatchewan.ca/paxlovid-pharmacies.

“As of the week of May 9, there have been 434 Paxlovid prescriptions and two Remdesivir treatments provided,” the province said in a release.

“There were 265 new lineage results reported this week. Of the 265 variants of concern (VOC) identified by whole genome sequencing, 100 per cent were Omicron,” according to the province.

The Omicron BA.2 sublineage accounted for 71 per cent of the VOCs reported.

There are 270 people in hospitals across the province with COVID-19, as of May 18.

Ninty-seven are for a COVID-19 related illness, 164 have an incidental COVID-19 infection and nine are under investigation.

Of the 270, 14 people are in intensive care units.

As of May 14, 81 per cent of residents five years and older have completed a series of vaccines (two doses).

A little more than 52 per cent of people 18 and older have at least one booster dose (a third shot).