According to the province’s now monthly respiratory illness surveillance report, influenza has decreased and COVID-19 has remained steady.
The province moves to monthly reporting each spring.
The reporting period was from April 21 to May 18. The report was released on May 24.
The number of positive tests for COVID-19 has remained stable over the past month from 66 tests in the week ending April 27 to 61 tests in the week ending May 18. The test positivity increased from 4.9 per cent to 5.2 per cent in the same period.
In the most recent week, the proportions of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases were highest among those 65 and older (56.3 per cent), followed by individuals 20-64 years of age (29.7 per cent).
Test positivity in North Central is 10 per cent for COVID-19 and 4.2 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 indicated consistently low to medium levels of COVID-19 across the surveyed areas of the province, with no elevated quantities of respiratory viruses detected over the observed period.
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 two weeks, no 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 seven hospital admissions and no ICU admissions.
COVID-19 hospitalizations remained stable at 30 for the most recent two weeks. COVID-19 ICU admissions decreased from 3 for the previous two weeks to 1 for the most recent two weeks.
The proportion of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients has remained stable (ranging from1.6 per to 1.8 per cent) over the last four weeks.
COVID-19 outbreaks in high-risk settings increased to five for the most recent two weeks compared to three 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.
Influenza has become less prevalent in the province.
Positive influenza tests decreased for the last three consecutive weeks from 85 in the week ending May 4 to 36 in the current surveillance week.
No influenza-associated deaths was reported in this two-week reporting period.
Influenza hospitalizations have remained stable at 15 for the most recent two weeks. Influenza ICU admissions also remained stable at 1 for the most recent 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.
The province did not include a breakdown of high and low areas of the province as they had in the past.
The report also included the school absenteeism data. School absenteeism decreased from 11.8 per cent to 10.4 per cent in the week ending May 18.
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.