`After-work socializing' blamed as COVID-19 numbers hit record

Saskatoon has 188 active COVID-19 cases — the highest of any region at any point during the pandemic — as another 138 cases were announced provincewide over the weekend.

Saskatchewan reported a new daily record of 78 new COVID-19 cases Saturday after a week of a steady rises as Saskatoon continues to see high transmission rates out of nightclub and bar outbreaks. Sixty new cases were reported on Sunday.

The previous record was set on Monday, when 66 new cases were reported. Sixty new cases were reported Sunday.

Of the new cases on Sunday, 27 are in Saskatoon, 14 in Regina, five each in the North East, North Central and South East, two in Central East and one each in the Far North West and North West.

In the past week, the province's active case count has risen by nearly 300, bringing it to a new all-time high on Sunday of 619.

The bulk of Saskatoon's cases and community transmission continues to be driven by “after-work socializing among young adults,” according to the release.

This includes outbreaks at several nightclubs and bars. To date, 48 cases have been linked to the Longbranch Bar outbreak, 22 cases to Divas Nightclub, 11 to Canadian Brew House (Stonebridge) and eight cases to Outlaws Country Rock Bar.

In Regina, transmission seems to be driven by “close family contacts with known cases, rather than public social activities,” the release said.

Forty-one of the new cases are in youth under the age of 19, and 59 were in the 20 to 39 age group.

Saskatoon remains with the most active cases out of any zone with 188, followed by the North Central zone with 128 and Regina with 97.

Twenty-one people are currently in hospital, with four people in intensive care.

Of the province's 2,729 cases, 348 are travellers, 1,354 are community contacts including mass gatherings, 706 have no known exposures and 321 are under investigation by local public health. Two cases are still waiting on location information and have not been assigned to a zone.

Over the weekend, 5,346 COVID-19 tests were performed in the province, bringing the total number of tests done in Saskatchewan up to 247,909.