
According to the province’s respiratory illness surveillance report COVID-19 continues decreasing in the province while Influenza activity has increased.
The reporting period was from Dec. 1 to 14. Due to the holidays, the next CRISP report (Reporting period Dec. 15 – 28, 2024) will be released on Jan. 10, 2025.
The number of COVID-19 positive tests and test positivity rates decreased this reporting period from 151 tests (9.5 per cent )in the week ending Dec. 7 to 107 tests (7.2 per cent) in the week ending Dece. 14. The majority of COVID-19 cases in the most recent week were 65 years and older.
In 2023 the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) took over wastewater data from the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina.
Most areas with sampling programs show low to moderate levels of COVID-19 activity in wastewater, with some areas reporting medium-high levels.
Test positivity for COVID-19 in the North Central region was 11.8 per cent. For influenza, test positivity was 0.0 per cent.
These are only lab-confirmed cases and not rapid antigen test-confirmed cases.
In the last three weeks, no COVID-19 associated-death was reported . It is not known how many deaths occurred in North Central over this period.
The report shows there are currently 23 hospital admissions and five ICU admissions.
COVID-19 hospital admissions decreased (from 151 to 107) while RSV admissions increased (from 11 to 42).
There were four COVID-19 outbreaks were reported in a high-risk setting in the past two weeks.
The report also included the school absenteeism data. School-illness absenteeism data did not change much over the last four reporting weeks. There was a decrease in school illness absenteeism from 11.4 per cent to 10.4 per cent this reporting period.
Less than 20 per cent of the population are immunized for COVID-19 (12.4 per cent ) and/or Influenza (18 per cent) viruses.
As of Oct. 13, 2022 the Ministry of Health launched the community respiratory illness surveillance program (CRISP) report to integrate COVID-19 surveillance and reporting with provincial respiratory illness and surveillance reporting, including influenza.
The report standardizes the epidemiological information required for respiratory illness surveillance and risk management and will be issued bi-weekly during respiratory illness season.