Sask. tops a million doses, but still shy of final goal

Saskatchewan soared past one million COVID-19 vaccine doses injected into people's arms, but remained stalled short of its final target for reopening.

The province announced 6,496 new doses on Tuesday, pushing the total to 1,005,275. But the percentage of people aged 12 and older with at least one dose remained at 69 per cent.

The province announced on Sunday that the removal of restrictions such as mandatory masks in indoor public spaces and gathering limits will proceed on July 11, even though the first-dose threshold for that move was set at 70 per cent of people 12 and older.

Only 898 of the new doses announced on Tuesday were first doses. Saskatchewan remained 13,184 first doses short of the target.

Other COVID-19 numbers brought welcome news. The 36 new cases marked the lowest number since an identical count on Nov. 4, the day before new cases topped 100 for the first time and remained mostly above 100 for the next seven months. The 36 new cases were determined from 1,270 tests, one of the lowest daily totals of the last seven months.

The province also announced 87 recoveries and that 21 cases were removed from Saskatchewan's total because the people were deemed to live elsewhere.

Total diagnosed COVID -19 cases rose to 48,505, while active cases dropped below 700 for the first time since October, to 639.

The province has identified 89 new variant of concern cases, including 20 more cases of the Delta variant, which is said to be more transmissible and can result in more severe illness. The Regina Zone leads with 73 Delta cases, almost triple the 25 in the larger Saskatoon Zone. The Regina Zone also led with 11 of the 36 new COVID -19 cases, followed by the Saskatoon Zone with nine and the South East Zone (Estevan, Weyburn) with six.

The Saskatoon Zone leads the Regina Zone in active cases, with 157 to 153. Active cases in the Regina Zone have risen over the last week, while they're declining in the Saskatoon Zone.

The North West Zone (Lloydminster, North Battleford) followed with 59 active cases; the North Central Zone (Prince Albert) was just behind at 57. No other zone had more than 50 active cases.

The number of people in hospital in the province with COVID -19 crept up to 79, including 12 people receiving intensive care. No new deaths were announced on Tuesday, so the death toll remained at 565.

The seven-day average of new daily cases continued its descent to 67, a level not seen since October.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority advised that a delay in an expected shipment of the Pfizer vaccine means the Moderna vaccine will be substituted, starting Wednesday.

Those people who have booked appointments will be advised of the change, the SHA said.

The number of people with at least one dose rose to 710,073, while those fully immunized with two doses increased to 295,202.

Despite some encouraging numbers, Saskatchewan remained in second place among provinces in three key pandemic metrics, and double the national average in all three. Saskatchewan trailed only Manitoba as of Monday in active cases per 100,000 people, with 60, according to information compiled by the federal government.

Saskatchewan also ranked second in new cases per 100,000 over the last seven days, with 42, and test positivity over seven days, at four per cent. Neighbouring Manitoba also leads both of those categories.