COVID-19 cases top 400, hospitalizations hit high

Eight more Saskatchewan residents with COVID-19 have died as daily cases soared past 400 for the first time since early December.

The province reported 412 new COVID-19 cases on Monday; active cases jumped to 3,735, the most since Dec. 23. Active cases had dipped to 2,699 on Dec. 31.

The number of people who have died after contracting COVID-19 has risen to 199, including 57 so far this month.

Someone aged 30 to 39 living in the Regina zone was among the deceased, along with four aged 80 and older in the far northwest, northwest, central east and southeast zones.

Two people in the 60 to 69 age group died, one in the Regina zone

and one in the south central zone.

The other person who died was someone aged 50 to 59 in the south central zone.

The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 also reached a new high of 197, including 31 people receiving intensive care.

The 412 new cases marks the third highest daily total, although some might consider it the highest since the previous two counts over 400 included cases that were delayed from the previous day.

On the four days prior to Monday, the province registered more than 300 cases each day, for the first time during the pandemic.

Of the new cases, 142 are located in the Saskatoon zone, 95 in the north central zone that includes Prince Albert and 88 in the Regina zone.

Saskatoon now leads all zones with 662 active cases, followed by north central, which includes Prince Albert, with 614 and Regina with 588. Prince Albert alone has 315 active cases.

The vast subzone in which La Ronge is located has 353 active cases in a population of 15,421. That subzone added 50 new cases on Monday.

The province's seven-day average has risen to 307, the highest yet.

The 412 new cases were identified from 2,611 tests on Sunday, translating to a positivity rate of nearly 16 per cent.

Of the 18,522 cases diagnosed in Saskatchewan, 3,172 — 17 per cent — have been recorded this month. Over the past two days, the province has recorded 162 recoveries compared to 719 new cases.

Saskatchewan has delivered 8,948 vaccine doses, including 833 on Sunday.

The provincial government has pledged to announce this week where 6,825 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 5,400 doses of the Moderna vaccine will be distributed when they arrive as expected.

The federal government has started posting a schedule of when vaccine doses are expected in each province. The website shows Saskatchewan has received 17,575 (12,675 Pfizer, 4,900 Moderna) doses so far.

Based on the federal schedule, the province is expected to receive 13,600 more Moderna doses by the end of February. After this week, Saskatchewan is slated to receive two more weekly shipments of 6,825 Pfizer doses and then four weekly shipments of 11,700 Pfizer doses by the end of February.

Combined, that means the province is supposed to get 63,755 vaccine doses between now and March.

Restrictions that were introduced in stages throughout November and December are set to expire on Friday. Health Minister Paul Merriman said last week that an update on public health measures was expected early this week.

Premier Scott Moe told the John Gormley Show on 650 CKOM and 980 CJME that it appears the province is experiencing a “Christmas bump” in the spread of the virus. He suggested that people should expect to see the status quo when it comes to public health rules for the rest of the month, because the test positivity rate remains too high.

“Given the recent increase in numbers, serious consideration is being given to renewing the measures,” Moe's office said in a statement.

Other provinces with lower per capita active cases have introduced stricter measures or are considering them, notably Quebec, which has imposed a provincewide curfew.

As of Sunday, Saskatchewan ranked third in active cases per 100,000 people with 297, behind only Manitoba with 345 and Alberta with 323. The national average is 225.

That surge in the province has been felt particularly in long-term and special care facilities, such as the Lakeview Pioneer Lodge in Wakaw, about 85 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.

Interim Lakeview CEO Wayne Nogier confirmed Monday that a fifth resident had died after being diagnosed with COVID-19. All 44 residents of the facility have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as 18 staff, Nogier said.

Six Lakeview residents are now in hospital and another one is in an intensive care unit, while the rest remain at the facility, Nogier said.

The province also announced on Monday that it had purchased 18,000 face shields and four million disposable masks for use in schools throughout the province from Saskatoon-based Benchmark Personal Protective Equipment.