According to the province’s monthly respiratory illness surveillance report, COVID-19 has dercreased in Saskatchewan.
The province moves to monthly reporting each spring.
The number of COVID-19 positive test and test positivity rates have been decreasing in the past three weeks from June 23 to July 13, with a drop from 15.1 per cent to 11.5 per cent.
In the most recent week, the proportions of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases were highest among individuals 65 years and older (59 per cent ) followed by those aged 20 to 64 years old (37.7 per cent).
Test positivity in North Central is 6.3 per cent for COVID-19 and 0.0 per cent for Influenza.
In July 2023 the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) took over wastewater data from the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina.
Wastewater data from the surveyed areas of the province continue to indicate a varied distribution of COVID-19 levels, ranging from low to moderately elevated concentrations.
These are only lab-confirmed cases and not rapid antigen test-confirmed cases.
The province warns that rates should be interpreted with caution because they do not include cases detected by home rapid-antigen test kits.
In the last four weeks, two deaths associated with COVID-19 were reported. It is not known how many deaths occurred in North Central over this period.
The report shows there are currently 30 hospital admissions and three ICU admissions.
COVID-19 hospitalizations decreased by 22 cases to 85 for the most recent two weeks. COVID-19 ICU admissions decreased from nine for the previous two weeks to eight for the most recent two weeks.
The proportion of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients has remained stable at 3.2 per cent for the last two weeks. However, there was an increase from 2.1 per to 3.2 per cent over the last four weeks.
COVID-19 outbreaks in high-risk settings decreased to nine (9) for the most recent two weeks compared to 14 for the previous two-week period.
The COVID-19 immunization campaign launched October 10, 2023. As of April 20, 18.4 per cent of those aged six months and older have received a COVID-19 vaccine dose. The province did not include a breakdown of high and low areas of the province as they had in the past.
According to the previous report influenza season appeared to be over.
The number of weekly positive tests for influenza remained stable (three to fue tests) over the past month.
The number of positive tests for influenza has decreased over the past four weeks from 20 tests in the week ending May 25 to nine tests in the week ending June 15.
No influenza-associated deaths was reported in this one month reporting period.
Influenza hospitalizations remained stable at one for the most recent two weeks. There was not influenza ICU admission during the last two weeks
The influenza immunization campaign launched October 10, 2023. As of April 20 24.9 per cent of the Saskatchewan population have received an influenza vaccine.
Also according the report on July 11 a single human case of swine-origin Influenza A(H3N2)v was reported. Human cases are rare, and there was no evidence of person-to-person transmission from this case. The case was not hospitalized and has fully recovered. The public health investigation is complete.
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.
