Sask.'s Delta variant cases double in past week
Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 case numbers are at their lowest point in 2021, but the threat remains with Delta variant cases doubling in the past week.
"Delta, just like the alpha wave, will likely become the dominant strain at some point in Canada. Obviously, we’re watching it closely and against, the case contact investigation piece is really helping to keep it in check," Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, said.
Due to higher vaccination rates, the delta variant hasn’t taken hold quite as quickly as the Alpha strain during the spring. Saskatchewan has reported 125 sequenced delta variant cases so far, compared to 6,476 alpha cases.
The number of delta variant cases have almost doubled from 68 a week ago.
A similar trend is being seen across Canada, where as of last Friday, there were more than 2,000 cases, an increase of 66 per cent in a week.
"The effective reproductive rate of delta is 1.44, so every 10 people who have delta variant could potentially be passing it on to 14 people, that’s a pretty high reproductive rate," Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine, an epidemiology and community health professor at the University of Saskatchewan said.
Muhajarine said due to the increased transmissibility and more severe symptoms the delta variant presents, it makes getting as many people fully vaccinated imperative to avoid a fourth wave in the province.
"We need to get two doses, not just one dose," he said. "One dose is not going to protect us against the delta variant, only 33 per cent efficacy, whereas two doses will bring us up to 88 per cent."
Saskatchewan is beginning to come out the other side of its third wave, which was largely fuelled by the alpha variant.
The province’s seven-day case average is at its lowest point since Oct. 31 of last year with five new cases per 100,000 people.
The provincial test positivity rate also dropped below two per cent at 1.77 for the first time this year.
"We also know that summer, even last summer as we reopened, we had low case numbers, but we did have sporadic outbreaks throughout the province and I think that’s going to be something we need to be aware of," Dr. Shahab said.
Saskatchewan reported 32 new cases on Wednesday, which is the lowest single day total since Oct. 18, 2020.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Feature Report Fixed or variable? Advice from more than 50 brokers for Canadians whose mortgages are up for renewal
Over the next year-and-a-half, 44 per cent of all mortgages will be up for renewal in Canada. To help guide consumers through these uncertain financial times, CTV News reached out to more than 50 mortgage brokers across Canada with a list of questions. Their answers provide professional guidance for individuals and families searching for clarity and sound advice.
Airline loses Ontario woman's suitcase, doesn't offer compensation for 3 months
An Ontario woman who took a trip to Mexico in February said the airline lost her luggage on the flight home and didn’t compensate her for three months.
Bread, milk, apples: Federal NDP wants price cap for grocery store staples
The federal New Democrats want a price cap on grocery store staples if the Liberal government can't convince grocers to bring down the prices themselves.
Mourners can now speak to an AI version of the dead. But will that help with grief?
A 61-year-old startup entrepreneur teamed up with his friend in the U.S., Robert LoCascio, CEO of the AI-powered legacy platform Eternos. Within two months, they built "a comprehensive, interactive AI version" of Michael Bommer -- the company's first client.
Her gut was producing alcohol. Doctors didn't believe her
For two years doctors told her she was an alcoholic. Then they realized her gut was making alcohol from carbohydrates, a rare condition called auto-brewery syndrome.
North Korea's trash balloons deepen tensions with the South. Here's what's happening between rivals
Animosities between North and South Korea are rising sharply again over an unusual cause: The North's rubbish-carrying balloons.
Takeaways from Fauci's testimony at contentious U.S. House hearing on COVID-19 pandemic
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testified on Monday at a House subcommittee hearing about the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the origins of the virus.
National Bank of Canada seizes Ont. woman's car by mistake
A university student woke up one morning to find her car had been towed away without warning. She finally got answers - just not the ones she expected.
India election: Modi's coalition leads in early count but opposition is stiffer than expected
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's coalition led in a majority of seats Tuesday in India's general election, according to early figures, but faced a stronger challenge from the opposition than expected after it pushed back against the leader's mixed economic record and polarizing politics.