Sask. top doctor not ruling out further restrictions, despite plateauing COVID-19 cases
Despite plateauing COVID-19 case numbers, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer said the province is far from clearing the fourth wave.
As of Friday, Saskatchewan’s seven-day average for daily new cases is 380, the lowest it has been in more than one month.
“Even if we are plateauing, we are plateauing at a very high level and that is still generating fairly high rates of hospitalization and ICU admissions,” Dr. Shahab said, adding he is cautiously monitoring the numbers.
“The whole province right now is seeing high transmission rates.”
During a teleconference Friday morning, Dr. Shahab said test positivity is at 12 per cent, although it is slightly lower in Regina and the south central region.
On Friday, 339 people were in hospital due to COVID-19, seventy-eight of those people are receiving intensive care.
According to Dr. Shahab, case numbers could spike following Thanksgiving weekend, as well as when we enter the winter months.
If that happens, he said he will be recommending further measures based on case numbers.
“There are still some tremendous pressures on the acute care system and those are not going to come down quickly,” he said.
Shahab added that people need to continue to follow public health orders as well as voluntary practices.
“We need to all get our flu shots as well because we don’t want that putting a pressure on the healthcare system either.”
He recommends being cautious when it comes to public gatherings, keep a safe distance, and if you’re not feeling well, get tested and stay home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
NEW 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire': A crowd pleaser that turns it up to 11
Hot on the heels of last year's 'Godzilla Minus One' comes 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' the first ever Academy Award winner in the giant reptile's decades-long film career.