Latest COVID update Sept. 17: 472 new cases, 7 deaths reported

The Saskatchewan government reported Friday the deaths of seven people due to COVID-19, the most in a day since late March.

The latest deaths included one person in the 20-to-39 age range, one in the 40-to-59 age range, two in the 60-to-79 group and three aged 80 and over.

The last time the number of deaths due to COVID was that high was March 26, when eight Saskatchewan residents died due to the virus.

Saskatchewan also reported Friday more than 400 new cases of COVID for the sixth straight day.

The Ministry of Health announced 472 new infections, raising the seven-day average of new cases to 444.

Rising case numbers and the provincial government’s decision to implement vaccine passports starting Oct. 1 may have resonated with some residents.

There were 3,287 doses of COVID vaccine administered in the province, the most since 4,064 shots were given Aug. 21.

The total in the latest reporting period included 1,560 first doses, the highest that figure has been since 4,116 first doses were delivered Aug. 17.

The active caseload in Saskatchewan rose to 4,234, the second-highest such figure in 2021 behind only the 4,265 on Jan. 18.

Hospitalizations due to COVID climbed to 223, with 50 of those in intensive care. There are 95 COVID patients (75 inpatient, 20 in ICU) in the Saskatoon region, the most ever in that area.

According to the government, 165 of the people hospitalized with COVID in Saskatchewan were not fully vaccinated.

A look at the numbers

The Saskatoon region reported the most new cases Friday with 80, followed by the northwest (60), Regina (54), southeast (46), south-central (34), north-central (27), southwest (27), far northeast (26), central-east (24), northeast (23), far northwest (16) and central-west (nine) zones.

The hometowns of 46 cases are still being determined.

Four Saskatchewan residents who tested positive out of province were added to the total, which stands at 61,065.

Of the new cases, 383 weren’t vaccinated — a total that included 91 children aged 11 and under (a group that isn’t eligible to be vaccinated), 60 people in the 12-to-19 age group, 61 individuals in the 20-to-29 age range and 68 people in the 30-to-39 age category.

There also were 64 positive tests among those who were fully vaccinated and 25 among the partially vaccinated community.

The government said 35.2 per cent of the new cases are under the age of 19.

The 299 recoveries reported hiked the provincial total to date to 56,194.

Testing numbers continued to climb, with 4,248 tests done on Thursday. That’s the second-highest daily total since May 14.