Sask. records 89 new COVID-19 cases Friday

REGINA -

Saskatchewan reported 89 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, along with 111 recoveries and zero additional deaths.

The new cases are in the Far Northwest (four); Far Northeast (13); Northwest (nine); North Central (six); Northeast (two); Saskatoon (20); Central West (one); Central East (five); Regina (12); Central (14); and Southeast (five). One new case is pending residence information.

 

Sask. COVID-19 Active Case Locations Infographic
Infogram

There are 101 people in hospital. Twenty-one of those patients in hospital are in the ICU – including two patients from Manitoba.

The 21 people receiving intensive are in the North Central (one); Saskatoon (10); Central East (two); Regina (six); and Southwest (two) zones.

As of Friday, there are 1,292 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

VACCINTIONS

There were 15,622 doses of COVID-19 vaccine given on Thursday.

According to the government, 67 per cent of people 18 and older have received their first dose, along with 64 per cent of those 12 and older.

 

Sask. Vaccination Doses By Age Group
Infogram

All residents 12 and older are eligible to get their first dose. Resident 65 and older or anyone who got their first dose on or before March 22 can now get the second dose.

The province is expecting to receive 12,400 Moderna doses this week.

VARIANTS OF CONCERN

The government said labs identified 133 more cases to be variants of concern (VoC).

As of Friday, 11,119 VoC cases have been identified in Saskatchewan. Of those cases, the lineage of 5,978 has been confirmed through whole genome sequencing.

There are 5,656 B.1.1.7 cases, which is the variant first identified in the U.K.; 181 cases of the P.1 variant first seen in Brazil; 32 cases of the B.1.617 variant identified in India; and 10 B.1.351 cases, which was first found in South Africa.

ASTRAZENECA ONLY DRIVE-THRU CLINIC OPENING IN REGINA SUNDAY

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) will be running an AstraZeneca only drive-thru vaccine clinic in Regina starting on Sunday.

The clinic is scheduled to be open for approximately five or six days, or until supply of the vaccine runs out.

The SHA said booked appointments for AstraZeneca are also available for June 7-8.

SASK. CMHO SAYS HIGH COVID-19 VACCINE UPTAKE WILL PROTECT CHILDREN UNDER 12

High community vaccine uptake is going to be key to protecting children ineligible for a COVID-19 shot as Saskatchewan begins to reopen.

"Children 11 and under are not independently mobile, so obviously if the vaccination rate is high in parents, families and friends, that indirectly protects children under 11," Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, said during Tuesday’s provincial update.

Saskatchewan’s reopening plan is predicated on strong vaccine uptake in people 12 and over. Most public health measures, including the mask mandate, will be removed when 70 per cent of residents 12 and over have their first dose.