Latest COVID update Feb. 9: Sask. sees lowest daily caseload in more than three months

Saskatchewan is reporting 80 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, the lowest daily increase in more than three months.

The last time the province reported fewer than 81 cases in a single day was on Nov. 4, when 37 new cases were announced.

Five people who tested positive for COVID-19 have died. One person has died from the far northwest area in the 60-to-69 age group. The remaining four deaths were people aged 80 and over from the north-central area (two), the Saskatoon area (one) and the southeast area (one).

The new cases are located in the Saskatoon (34), northwest (13), north-central (seven), far northeast (seven), far northwest (five), central-east (five), Regina (four), central-west (two), south-central (one) and northeast (one) zones. One case is pending residence information.

Of the 25,654 cases to date, 23,282 people have recovered and 2,026 cases are considered active.

Of the 206 people in hospital, 180 people are receiving inpatient care and 26 people are in intensive care.

Patients are receiving inpatient care in the Saskatoon (65), Regina (48), north-central, (25), northwest (21), central-east (10), far northwest (four), southeast (three), northeast (two), central-west (one) and south-central (one) zones.

Of the 26 people in intensive care, 10 are located in each of the Saskatoon and Regina regions, three are in the central-east, and there’s one each in the northwest, north-central, and southwest.

The seven-day average of daily new cases is 203, down from 223 on Monday.

There were 1,910 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan on Monday.

Vaccination update

There were 1,252 COVID-19 vaccine doses administered Monday, bringing the total number of vaccines administered to 44,521.

Once again, the province has administered 100 per cent of the doses to date, largely due to efficiencies in drawing extra doses from vials of vaccine received.

The 1,252 doses were administered in the following zones: central-west (381), far northwest (294), northeast (242), far northeast (162), northwest (75), north-central (72), southeast (15) and far north-central (11).

The province is back-dating corrections between Jan. 22 and this past Saturday, adding an additional 282 doses.

The Public Health Agency of Canada approved regulatory changes for the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday, upping the amount of doses from five to six per vial.

This week’s incoming shipment of Pfizer to the province will continue to be counted as five doses per vial.

Beginning next week, all Pfizer doses shipped to provinces and territories will be based on six doses per vial.

The Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority are keeping the changes in mind and are currently examining the potential impact on vaccine distribution plans.