Latest COVID update Sept. 8: 405 new cases, 181 hospitalizations, 2 deaths

There were 405 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Saskatchewan on Wednesday, the fifth-highest single-day total of new cases in the province since the pandemic started.

The highest daily total ever reported remains 439 on Nov. 21.

The Ministry of Health also reported 181 hospitalizations due to COVID on Wednesday, the highest that figure has been since it was 186 on April 29.

The current total includes 88 hospitalizations in the Saskatoon region, with 69 receiving inpatient care and 19 in intensive care. That total is the highest since 91 people were in hospital in the region on Feb. 2.

The government said of those patients currently in hospitals, 135 weren’t fully vaccinated.

Two residents of the south zone died due to the virus, increasing the province’s death toll since the pandemic started to 615.

The cases reported Wednesday were in the Saskatoon (98), north-central (78), far northeast (71), northwest (39), far northwest (22), Regina (17), northeast (14), central-east (10), central-west (seven), southeast (six), south-central (four), far north-central (three) and southwest (two) zones.

The hometowns of 34 cases are pending.

According to the government, 327 of the new cases are people who aren’t vaccinated and 54 had received two doses of COVID vaccine.

There were 128 cases in the 19-and-under age group, with 121 of those unvaccinated. Children 12 and under currently aren’t eligible to get COVID vaccinations.

To date, there have been 57,243 cases reported in the province, including 13,821 in the Saskatoon area and 12,609 in the Regina region.

There were 256 recoveries announced, increasing that total to 53,297.

There are 3,331 active cases, the most since there were 3,702 reported on Jan. 20. The seven-day average of new cases rose to 362, or 30.0 per 100,000.

A total of 393 vaccinations were done in the latest reporting period, with 201 of those second doses.

To date, 702,957 people have received two shots and a total of 1,490,806 doses have been administered.

There were 3,387 COVID tests done in Saskatchewan, increasing the provincial total to 1,049,289.

August deaths

The Ministry of Health gave a bit more information about breakthrough cases and deaths that were reported Tuesday.

Of the 22 people who died with COVID in August, the ministry said nine of them were fully vaccinated and one was partially vaccinated.

And of the nine who were fully vaccinated, the ministry explained that eight of them were aged 60 or older.

“Co-morbidities and age continue to contribute to COVID-19 outcomes,” read the statement issued Wednesday.

The ministry said while vaccinations are not 100 per cent effective, they’re still the best protection against COVID-19.