Hospitalizations drop, 207 new infections
Saskatchewan got mixed COVID-19 news on Friday, with new cases topping 200 for just the third time in four weeks, and hospitalizations dropping to their lowest point since before Christmas.
The province also announced two more Covid-19-related deaths, a person aged 60 to 69 from the Regina zone and someone aged 80 or over from the Saskatoon zone. The two deaths pushed the total deaths to 393, including 240 so far this year.
The 207 new cases reported on Friday far outnumbered the 125 recoveries, so active cases rose slightly to 1,507. Total cases now number 29,432. The new cases were determined from 3,289 tests, the second highest daily total so far in 2021.
Saskatchewan's seven-day average of new daily cases rose slightly Friday to 155, but hospitalizations of people diagnosed with COVID-19 dropped to 138, the lowest since Dec. 23. Twenty of the people in hospital are receiving intensive care.
The Saskatoon zone led the new cases with 45, followed by the Regina zone with 43.
The far north west zone followed with 23 new cases, with 19 of those in the subzone with Meadow Lake.
The Regina zone continued to lead with 429 active cases, followed by the Saskatoon zone with 293 and far north west with 193. The Meadow Lake subzone had 128 active cases in an area with just 17,907 people.
Since the beginning of February, there have been 17 COVID -19 outbreaks declared in Meadow Lake.
Saskatchewan maintained its status as the leader in Canada in per capita active cases, according to information compiled by the federal government. As of Thursday, Saskatchewan had 121 active cases per 100,000 people, compared to a national rate of 79.
Saskatchewan led in the rate of new cases with 87 per 100,000 people over the last seven days, well above the national rate of 53.
The province reported 2,789 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were injected into people's arms. That brings the total to 86,879, including 27,945 second doses.
A shipment of Moderna vaccine that was expected to arrive next week is now not expected until the following week, a news release from the province said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday that Canada is expected to receive an additional 1.5 million doses of the Pfizerbiontech vaccine this March. In an emailed response, Saskatchewan's Ministry of Health declined to comment on this development until confirmation of the province's allotment and schedule is received.
A separate emailed statement said the ministry is “pleased” Health Canada has approved the first single-dose vaccine, the version from Johnson & Johnson. The statement said the province awaits details on how many doses the province will receive and when.
With 15,500 doses of the Astrazeneca vaccine scheduled to arrive next week, people aged 60 to 64 will be able to book appointments in the week of March 15 in Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton and North Battleford. The phone number to call to book a shot is to be made available next week, with vaccinations due to start the week of March 22.
The Astrazeneca plan departs from the province's age-based strategy due to limited evidence of the vaccine's effectiveness in people 65 or older.
Frontline health-care workers will also receive Astrazeneca doses in the same six cities.
The province is vaccinating people 70 and older as part of the first phase of the vaccination rollout.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority announced Friday that a former hockey arena converted into a COVID -19 field hospital will serve as a mass immunization site.
Merlis Belsher Place, just south of the University of Saskatchewan campus, is operating as a clinic where people aged 70 and older are receiving vaccines as part of the first phase.
Merlis Belsher will be available for use as a field hospital, should that be required by a surge in cases. In such an instance, the vaccine clinic would be moved elsewhere.
Expanding the clinic into the space occupied by the field hospital will increase the capacity for immunization from 456 people a day to about 1,400, the SHA says.
The province is planning 226 vaccine clinics in 181 communities, which does not include people in First Nations communities and at pharmacies.