Latest COVID update Sept. 20: 519 new cases, active cases up to 4,672

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan rose for a 13th straight day Monday.

The Ministry of Health said there were 4,672 active cases, the most since there were 4,682 on Dec. 10.

There were 519 new cases, 431 recoveries and two deaths reported. The number of new cases is the second-highest ever announced in a day, behind only the 543 announced Sunday.

Two residents of the southwest region — one in the 60-to-79 age range and one in the 80-and-over age group — died due to COVID. The death toll in the province to date is 641.

Hospitalizations due to COVID continued to climb to record heights in the province, with an all-time high of 253 people in hospital. That included a record 56 people in intensive care.

There are 105 COVID patients in hospitals in the Saskatoon region, including 24 in ICU.

According to the government, 189 of the COVID patients in Saskatchewan hospitals are unvaccinated.

The seven-day average of new COVID cases climbed to 494, or 41.0 per 100,000.

A look at the numbers

The new cases reported Monday were in the Saskatoon (136), northwest (63), Regina (54), north-central (53), central-east (33), south-central (26), far northwest (23), far northeast (21), southwest (21), northeast (20), southeast (19), central-west (10) and far north-central (one) zones.

The hometowns of 39 cases are pending. The province’s total number of cases to date stands at 62,620.

The ministry said 32.9 per cent of the new cases were in the 20-to-39 age range.

Of the daily total, 407 hadn’t received a COVID vaccination, including 89 in the 11-and-under range (a group that isn’t eligible to be vaccinated), 58 in the 12-to-19 age group, 89 in the 20-to-29 range and 58 in the 30-to-39 age group.

There also were 83 cases among people who were fully vaccinated and 29 among those who weren’t fully vaccinated.

The number of COVID vaccinations done in a day fell for the first time in a week. There were 2,623 doses administered, including 1,522 first doses and 1,101 second doses.

It was the third straight day first doses exceeded second doses.

So far, 1,522,709 COVID shots have been given in Saskatchewan. There are 718,972 people who have received both jabs.