COVID-19: 1 new death in Saskatchewan as total infections surpass 39K

Saskatchewan has exceeded another milestone since the pandemic began with over 39,000 total COVID-19 infections after 254 cases were added on Thursday.

There have now been a total of 39,137 reported infections and the seven-day average of daily cases was down from 253 on Wednesday to 248.

The province added one COVID-19-related death for a total of 470, according to a press release. The recently deceased was reported in their 50s from the south central zone.

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According to the provincial government, 219 new variants of concern (VOC) cases have been identified in Saskatchewan and they are all reported as follows: far north west (49), far north east (2), north west (108), north central (71), north east (8), Saskatoon (560), central west (75), central east (229), Regina (3,206), south west (136), south central (432) and south east (575) zones. The residences of 70 VOC cases are pending.

The province’s hospitals are currently providing care for 177 patients with COVID-19 — 129 are receiving inpatient care and 48 are in intensive care.

Active cases, which are total cases minus recoveries and deaths, now sit at 2,505 in Saskatchewan, according to the press release.

Read more: Saskatchewan headed toward needing to activate triage framework: SHA chief medical officer

The total number of people who have recovered from the virus has grown to 36,162 following 299 more recoveries, provincial health officials said.

According to the press release, 3,706 COVID-19 tests were performed on Wednesday. To date, 741,278 tests have been carried out in the province.

A total of 372,334 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Saskatchewan, provincial government officials said. They added Phase 1 priority vaccinations will be considered complete as of Thursday.

Seniors’ Minister Everett Hindley is expected to provide an update on the COVID-19 situation in the province at 3 p.m.

Global News will stream the press conference live on our website.

More to come...

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.

For full COVID-19 coverage, visit the Global News coronavirus web page.