Saskatchewan reported 19 new cases of COVID-19 in the province on Monday.
New positive tests are spread about the province with eight in the central, five in Saskatoon, five in the south and one in the north.
Those new cases are in addition to the 11 reported over the weekend. Fice were announced on Sunday and six on Saturday.
Public health investigation is ongoing to determine transmission chains and to identify contacts.
“While most of the recent new cases have been in southwest and west-central Saskatchewan, the risk of COVID-19 transmission continues to exist in every part of the province. This is why everyone must continue to take precautions and follow public health measures,” the province’s release said.
COVID-19 testing is now available to anyone who requests it, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. A referral for testing can be made by contacting HealthLine 811.
The province reminded people on Saturday that since mid-June there has been an increase in cases in the southwest and west-central parts of Saskatchewan, both on Hutterite colonies and in the broader community.
Public health investigation is ongoing to determine transmission chains and to identify contacts.
Health officials are working closely with the Hutterian Safety Council, local Hutterian leaders and local municipal leaders to increase testing and precautionary measures to protect these communities.
With the increase in cases, there have been reports of discrimination towards some Saskatchewan residents.
“This is unacceptable. Discrimination has no place in Saskatchewan,” the release stated.
“COVID-19 does not discriminate, as we have seen with cases across the province This is why everyone must continue to take precautions and follow public health measures,” it added.
Of the 962 reported COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan, 145 are considered active.
Three more cases reported on July 11 as positive have been updated to a negative result and have been removed from the total cases, bringing the total to four cases removed after one was changed on Saturday.
The number of deaths from COVID-19 remains at 15 in the province.
The recovered number has gone up three to 802.
There are 10 people in hospital with illnesses related to COVID-19, a drop of one from yesterday.
Seven individuals are receiving inpatient care in the hospital; five in Saskatoon, one in the south and one in the north.
Three people, one in the south and two in Saskatoon, are listed in intensive care.
The total number of cases is 962. Of those 340 of the cases are from the far north, 211 are from the Saskatoon area, 124 are from the north, 118 are from the Regina area, 87 are from the south and 80 are from the central region.
As of July 20, 82,943 COVID-19 tests have been performed in the province an increase of 1,319 over yesterday.
As of July 18 when other provincial and national numbers were available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan’s per capita rate was 60,463 people tested per million population. The national rate was 93,658 people tested per million population.
