Sask. active COVID-19 cases drop below 250 for first time in 8 months

REGINA -

Saskatchewan’s active COVID-19 case count dropped below 250 cases on Tuesday – the lowest total in more than eight months.

The province said 242 cases are currently active, following 22 new cases and 42 recoveries Tuesday. Cases were last below 250 on October 13, 2020, according to the province’s COVID-19 dashboard.

New cases are located in the Far North West (14), Far North East (three), North West (two), and Saskatoon (two) zones. One case is pending residence information.

No deaths related to the disease were reported.

Fifty-five people are in hospital related to COVID-19, including 10 in intensive care.

The seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases is 25, or 2.1 per 100,000 population.

A total of 12,314 variants of concern have been detected in Saskatchewan. Lineage results were reported for 154 more variant cases on Tuesday.

Of the 7,961 variant cases with lineages identified by whole genome sequencing, 7,027 are Alpha (B.1.1.7), 505 are Delta (B.1.617.2), 419 are Gamma (P.1), and 10 are Beta (B.1.351).

Delta variant cases rose by 81 from Monday’s data. Since July 16, Delta cases in the Far North East zone rose by 64.

VACCINES

The province said an additional 2,636 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were given in Saskatchewan, bringing the total number of doses administered to 1,353,307.

As of Tuesday, 74 per cent of those 12 years and older have received their first dose of vaccine, while 59 per cent are fully vaccinated.