REGINA -- Seven COVID-19 deaths were reported in Saskatchewan on Thursday, along with 238 new cases.

One new death was a person in their 40s in the Southeast zone. One new death was a person in their 60s in the North Central zone. Five were in their 80s, four in Saskatoon and one in Regina.

There are 3,978 cases active as of Thursday, out of 12,832 cases to date.

The province reported 466 new recoveries on Thursday.

The seven-day average of daily new cases is 230 (19 new cases per 100,000 population).

There are five new cases in the Far Northwest, one in the Far North Central, 15 in the far Northeast, 26 in the Northwest, 32 North Central, nine in the Northeast, 81 in Saskatoon, seven in the Central East zone, 40 in Regina, three in the Southwest, seven in the South Central, three in the Southeast and nine cases are pending location details.

There are 126 people in hospital in the province; 104 in inpatient care and 22 in ICU.

One-hundred and five people have died of COVID-19 in Sask.

The SHA tested 2,875 people on Wednesday.

VACCINE ROLLOUT CONTINUES AFTER INITIAL DOSES

One day after becoming the province’s first residents vaccinated against COVID-19, Dr. Jeffery Betcher and Emergency Room Nurse Leah Sawatsky say they aren’t letting their guard down on the job.

"I don’t see it as giving us the ability to change anything as much as to feel we have just another level of protection that we didn’t have before," Dr. Betcher said.

The two healthcare workers still require a second dose of the vaccine in 21 days to receive its full 95 per cent effectiveness against the virus.

"Not everybody has been immunized and I’m not sure if we know how transmission rates will decrease or not in those who are vaccinated," added Sawatsky.