Five more patients have died after testing positive for COVID-19, including a patient in their 30s from the South West Zone.
Two of the deaths occured in the Far North West. Both patients were in their 70s. There were no new deaths reported in North Central. There have been 204 deaths in Saskatchewan linked to COVID-19.
Health officials reported 248 new cases on Tuesday, 26 of which were in North Central. That was the fourth highest total out of any zone in the province. Saskatoon had the highest total with 53 new cases, followed by Regina with 37 and the North West Zone with 30. Another 31 cases announced on Tuesday are still under investigation and have not been assigned to a zone.
Prince Albert reported 14 of North Central’s 26 new cases. North Central Zone 1 and North Central Zone 3 both reported six cases each. Another 52 North Central patients have recovered from the virus. There are now 598 active cases in the area. That’s the second highest total in the province, behind Saskatoon with 677.
The three far north regions reported a combined 33 new cases on Tuesday, 20 of which were in the Far North East. Another 11 were in the Far North West, and two were in Far North Central.
The Far North East has the highest number of active cases with 454, followed by the Far North West with 218 and Far North Central with 42.
The North East, which includes Nipawin, Melfort and Tisdale, reported five new cases on Tuesday. There are now 133 active cases in the area.
As of Jan. 12, healthcare workers have administered nearly 10,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, including 903 doses on Jan. 11. Those 903 doses include 210 in Prince Albert, 88 in the Far North West, 64 in Far North Central, 122 in the Far North East, and 119 in the North East.
Health officials have administered 824 Pfizer doses in Prince Albert since they started vaccinating.
The next shipment of the Pfizer vaccine is expected to arrive in Saskatoon on Jan. 12. The province expects around 6,825 doses, which will be used among priority long term care and personal care home residents and staff.
The next Moderna shipment of 5,400 vaccines is expected in Saskatchewan on Jan. 14, with 4,900 being distributed in the South East and Central East zones. The rest will be sent to the Far North East.
Public health measures enacted on Dec. 17 will remain in effect until Jan. 29, when the Chief Medical Health Officer will review them. The provincial government has a press confrence scheduled for 3 p.m. today to discuss the issue.
