REGINA -- Saskatchewan recorded 262 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, along with three more deaths and 233 recoveries.

Two people who died were from Regina, one was in their 40s and another was in their 60s. The third person was in their 70s and from the Saskatoon zone. Since the start of the pandemic, 494 people have died in Saskatchewan due to COVID-19.

The new cases are in the Far Northwest (14), Northwest (27), North Central (20), Northeast (two), Saskatoon (49), Central West (two), Central East (16), Regina (71) Southwest (15), South Central (13), and Southeast (28) zone. Five new cases are pending location information.

 

There are 167 people in hospital across the province; 38 people are receiving intensive care. Twenty-three people are in ICU in Regina, down from 30 at the beginning of the week.

The seven-day average of daily new cases in 238; there are 2,452 active cases in the province.

VACCINE ELIGIBILITY

Vaccine eligibility dropped to include those age 40 and older on Friday. Eligibility remains at 30 and older in the Northern Saskatchewan Administrative District.

The province expanded the list of eligible frontline workers to include teachers and educational staff, correctional staff, border security agents, police officers, firefighters and frontline healthcare workers employed by the Saskatchewan Health Authority or private employers, such as dentists, optometrists and chiropractors.

According to the province, eligible groups under the age of 40 can get their vaccine at a drive-thru or walk-in clinic, make an appointment with a pharmacy participating in the pilot program or call 1-833-SASKVAX to book their shot.

Eligible people under the age of 40 will be required to show proof of employment – such as a pay stub, letter from an employer or professional license – before they get the shot

DRIVE-THRU CLINICS

Saskatoon’s drive-thru clinic reopened Saturday. It is open 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. People wanting to access the drive-thru clinic at Prairieland Park are told to enter through St. Henry Avenue.

Regina’s drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine clinic is scheduled to reopen Sunday. The clinic will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. at the International Trade Centre at Evraz Place.

Moose Jaw’s drive-thru clinic will also reopen on Sunday. The clinic is at the Lillooet Fire Station, located at 750 Lillooet Street West. It will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A full list of drive-thru and walk-in clinics is available on the Saskatchewan Health Authority's website.

VARIANTS OF CONCERN

Labs identified another 205 COVID-19 variant cases in Saskatchewan; 6,999 have been identified so far.

The variant cases have been identified in the Far Northwest (135), Far Northeast (three), Northwest (215), North Central (129), Northeast (22), Saskatoon (794), Central West (81), Central East (308), Regina, (3,777), Southwest (197), South Central (523) and Southeast (727) zones.

The government did not report any new lineage results Saturday. So far, labs have confirmed 2,491 cases of the B.1.1.1.7 variant, which was first seen in the U.K.; 22 cases of the P.1 variant first identified in Brazil; and nine B.1.351 cases, which is the variant that originated in South Africa.

VACCINATIONS

There were 7,403 doses of COVID-19 vaccine given on Friday; 435,142 doses have been administered so far.

The shots were given in the Far Northwest (128), Far North Central (30), Far Northeast (53), Northwest (926), North Central (413), Northeast (78), Saskatoon (2,088), Central West (540), Central East (761), Regina (1,421), Southwest (179), South Central (188) and Southeast (366) zones. There were 232 doses administered with zone of residence pending.

 

According to the government, 62 per cent of people age 40 and older have received their first dose.