REGINA -- The Government of Saskatchewan reported two COVID-19-related deaths on Friday, along with 207 new cases and 125 recoveries.
One death was a person in their 60s from the Regina zone. The other, was a person in the 80-plus age range from Saskatoon.
The 207 new cases are located in the Far North West (23), Far North Central (two), Far North East (13), North West (20), North Central (13), North East (eight), Saskatoon (45), Central East (18), Regina (43), South West (two), South Central (five), and South East (five) zones.
A total of 1,507 cases are considered active. The seven-day average of daily new cases is 155, or 12.7 per 100,000 population.
The province said there are 138 people in hospital due to COVID-19 currently, including 20 people in intensive care.
There were 3,289 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan on Thursday.
VACCINES
A total of 2,789 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were distributed in Saskatchewan on Thursday. There have been 86,879 doses administered across the province.
A shipment of 15,500 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine is expected late next week. Those doses will be distributed between Regina, Saskatoon, North Battleford, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, and Yorkton.
Health Canada approved the use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine in Canada, on Friday morning. The government does not have shipment dates or quantity information yet. This vaccine requires only one dose.
SASK. TO EXTEND PERIOD BETWEEN COVID-19 VACCINE DOSES
Saskatchewan will extend the interval between the first and second COVID-19 doses, following new advice from a national panel of medical experts, Premier Scott Moe said on Thursday.
“I would just say, from a Saskatchewan’s perspective and we'll be announcing that shortly that we are officially moving to the four month interval,” Moe said a meeting with other Canadian premiers.
Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended Wednesday the interval between doses of all three approved COVID-19 vaccines could be stretched up to four months.
The committee said given the limited supply of vaccine, provinces should expand the number people benefitting from the first dose of the vaccine by extending the time between doses.
