REGINA -- Saskatchewan reported 98 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. Active cases in the province now sit at 2,066.
The province said that a combination of weather and logistical factors resulted in a number of tests failing to reach the Roy Romanow Provincial Laboratory before the reporting period for Thursday
There were 132 new recoveries reported Thursday for a total of 3,553 to date.
There are two new cases in the far northwest, three in the far northeast, 12 in the northwest, 12 in north central, five in the northeast, 10 in Saskatoon, one in the central west, five in the central east, 25 in Regina, 14 in south central, five in the south east and four new cases have pending resident location.
Eighty-three people are in hospital, 62 receiving inpatient care and 21 in intensive care.
Thirty-two Saskatchewan residents have died after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
The SHA performed 2,004 test on Wednesday.
EPIDEMIOLOGY PROF CALLS COVID-19 'SLOW DOWN' AN UNTESTED STRATEGY
Starting Thursday, masks are mandatory province-wide in indoor public spaces, private gatherings are limited to five people, and visitations at long-term and personal care homes are suspended.
Saskatchewan is choosing to slow down rather than lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19.
According to University of Saskatchewan Public Health and Epidemiology Professor Dr. Cory Neudorf, this method is untested.
"We don’t really know how this kind of approach will work, it hasn’t been really tried in exactly this way elsewhere," Neudorf said.
Short lockdowns have been used to flatten the curve in other countries and provinces, including in Saskatchewan early in the pandemic, but Dr. Neudorf said relying on the public to follow lesser restrictions hasn’t.
