Sask. reports more than 600 new COVID-19 cases for the first time

REGINA -

Saskatchewan hit a devastating marker Thursday when the province recorded more than 600 new COVID-19 cases for the first time. 

With 601 new cases, the province broke its previous record for daily cases, which was set on Sunday with 550. The number of cases confirmed Thursday is a sizeable jump from the previous day when the government announced 395 new cases.

Of the 601 new cases, 520 – or 87 per cent – are in unvaccinated people, including 127 cases in kids under the age of 12. 

The cases are in the Far North West (34), Far North East (14), North West (65), North Central (45), North East (14), Saskatoon (165), Central West (7), Central East (25), Regina (98), South West (34), South Central (24) and South East (43) zones. Thirty-three new cases have pending residence information.

The province said 10 more people have died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths recorded in the province to 695. All 10 people were over the age of 80.

There are 307 COVID-19 patients in hospital, 74 per cent are not fully vaccinated. The number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU has surpassed 70 for the first time, with 72 people in intensive care beds.

The seven-day average of daily new cases is 488 and there are 4,669 active cases.

The government said health-care workers have given 4,792 more doses of COVID-19 vaccine, including 2,643 first jabs and 2,149 second shots.

A RECORD-BREAKING SEPTEMBER

Saskatchewan plowed through countless COVID-19 records throughout September.

Since the last day of August, COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased 136 per cent and active cases have gone up by 112 per cent.

The province confirmed 12,651 new cases in September – 19 per cent of the total reported throughout the course of the pandemic.