REGINA -- The Government of Saskatchewan reported one COVID-19-related death on Tuesday, along with 113 new COVID-19 cases and 160 recoveries.

The province also loosened restrictions on gathering sizes, now allowing private gatherings of up to 10 people. Households may now create a bubble of 10 people to socialize with.

In a release, the government said one person in their 50s from the North West zone died after testing positive for COVID-19. This marks the province's 400th COVID-19-related death.

There are currently 1,414 cases considered active: Saskatchewan's lowest active case total since Nov. 11.

A total of 139 people are in hospital related to the disease, including 25 in intensive care.

The 113 new cases are located in the Far North West (four), Far North East (nine), North West (nine), North Central (four), North East (one), Saskatoon (37), Central East (four), Regina (30), South West (three), South Central (one) and South East (three) zones.

Eight new cases are pending residence information. Three other cases pending location were assigned, and one case was deemed out-of-province.

 

A total of 1,874 COVID-19 tests were processed in Saskatchewan on Monday.

The seven-day average for new daily new cases is 141, or 11.5 per 100,000 population.

SURVEY DETECTS 44 PREVIOUSLY UNCONFIRMED VARIANT CASES OVER 2-MONTH SPAN

Over a two-month period, 44 people in Saskatchewan have tested positive for COVID-19 variant cases at the Roy Romanow Provincial Lab.

A survey completed between Jan. 26 and Feb. 27, 190 people who tested positive for COVID-19 were surveyed for a strain, and 35 cases were confirmed. Of those cases, 28 were in the Regina zone.

The initial survey testing began on March 1 when the lab began its whole genome sequencing. In a press release on Tuesday, the province said the results were reported to the Ministry of Health on March 8.

VACCINE

There were 736 doses of COVID-19 vaccines distributed throughout the province on Tuesday.

A total of 93,512 doses have been administered, including 65,487 first doses and 28,025 second doses.

 

The first shipment of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in Saskatchewan on Tuesday morning, including 15,500 doses. The province expects AstraZeneca distribution to begin in the coming days, at a drive-through location in Regina.