Sask. reports 95 COVID-19 deaths since start of 2023, no influenza deaths

As of March 25, 95 deaths in Saskatchewan have been linked to COVID-19 since the start of the year. No influenza-related deaths were reported over the same period.

The Saskatchewan government released its latest bi-weekly Community Respiratory Illness Surveillance Program (CRISP) report on Thursday.

According to the report, 18 people died after testing positive for COVID-19 between March 12 and March 25.

Three people who died were between the ages of 20 and 59. Fifteen of those who lost their lives were 60 years of age or older, the report said.

According to the report, just 21 per cent of people in Saskatchewan over the age of 12 have received a bivalent booster dose — a version of the COVID-19 vaccine tailor-made to limit the spread of the dominant Omicron variant responsible for nearly all new infections.

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Uptake for booster doses also continues to lag, according to the province.

"With the exception of Regina, all areas of the province have less than 50 per cent of their population up-to-date for COVID-19 vaccines," the report said.

While the city has the highest vaccination rate, only 52 per cent of people in Regina are up-to-date on their vaccines, according to the report.

According to the provincial government, people who are fully up-to-date on their COVID-19 booster doses are four times less likely to die from the illness compared to those who aren't.

A person fully up-to-date on their booster doses is eight times more likely to live when compared to someone who is completely unvaccinated, the report said.