Sask. reports 94 new COVID-19 cases; doesn't meet Step 3 vaccine target
Saskatchewan reported 94 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, along with 70 recoveries and zero new deaths.
Sixty-nine per cent of people 18 and older have their first dose of the vaccine. The province has been stuck at 69 per cent since Sunday. It has to hit 70 per cent by June 20 in order to begin Step Three by July 11.
Though the government did not report any deaths, one person in the 80-plus age group from Regina was removed from the COVID-19 related deaths count, bringing the total number down to 561.
The new cases are in the Far Northwest (four); Far Northeast (one); Northwest (nine); North Central (seven); Northeast (five); Saskatoon (25); Central West (11); Central East (two); Regina (nine); Southwest (three); South Central (seven); and Southeast (four) zones.
There are 87 people in hospital across the province – the lowest number since mid-November. Nine of those patients are in intensive care in the Saskatoon (six) and Regina (three) zones.
The seven-day average of new daily COVID-19 cases is 75. There are 752 active cases across the province.
VACCINES
There were 15,402 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered Wednesday, bringing the total to 937,737.
The province is expecting 89,880 doses of the Moderna vaccine this week.
The government said Pfizer adjusted its delivery schedule for Canada and will see lower allocations than projected. The province said it does not yet know how Saskatchewan’s Pfizer delivery will be impacted.
45+ ELIGIBLE FOR 2ND DOSE OF COVID-19 VACCINE
Second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are available in Saskatchewan for residents age 45 and older or anyone who received their first dose on or before May 1, as of 8 a.m. Thursday.
The age eligibility for Northern Saskatchewan Administration District is now 18 years and older for second doses regardless of when they received their first dose.
Other individuals who are eligible for their second doses – including anyone diagnosed with or being treated for cancer, or anyone who has received a solid organ transplant – will receive a letter.
VARIANTS OF CONCERN
The province said labs identified another 60 COVID-19 cases to be variants of concern, bringing the total to 11,847.
The dominant variant continues to be the Alpha variant, which was first identified in the U.K. There are 6,134 identified Alpha cases, 231 are Gamma, first seen in Brazil, and 68 are the Delta variant first identified in India.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.