Latest COVID update Nov. 18: 95 new cases, 4 deaths

Saskatchewan continues to lead Canada in rate of deaths due to COVID-19.

According to Health Canada statistics, the death rate in the province in the past two weeks is 3.4 deaths per 100,000 population.

As of Wednesday, Saskatchewan’s rate of deaths over the previous seven days was 1.9 per 100,000. Saskatchewan was the only province with a rate over 1.0.

The Ministry of Health reported four more deaths Thursday, increasing the total to date to 905.

Two of the fatalities were in the 60-to-79 age group, with one in each of the 40-to-59 and 80-and-over age groups. There was one death reported in each of the far northwest, central-east, southwest and south-central regions.

Saskatchewan also reported 95 new cases and 154 recoveries. As well, 59 Saskatchewan residents who tested positive in other jurisdictions were added to the province’s total.

The number of COVID patients in Saskatchewan hospitals dropped by seven, to 161. That included 38 cases in intensive care units around the province.

There also were 11 Saskatchewan ICU patients being treated in Ontario.

A look at the numbers

The new cases were reported in the Saskatoon (27), southeast (20), central-east (11), south-central (seven), southwest (five), north-central (five), Regina (four), far northwest (three), northwest (three) and central-west (two) regions. The hometowns of eight cases were pending.

The seven-day average of new COVID cases dropped to 102, or 8.4 per 100,000,

To date, Saskatchewan has reported 79,937 cases and 77,932 recoveries.

The total number of cases includes 13,424 children under the age of 11, 9,590 people between the ages of 12 and 19, 27,736 individuals aged 20 to 39, 18,291 people between the ages of 40 and 59, 8,426 people in the 60-to-79 age group, and 2,470 people aged 80 and over.

The active caseload dropped to 1,100.

There were 1,503 doses of COVID vaccines administered in Saskatchewan in the latest reporting period. That comprised 408 first doses and 1,095 second shots.

To date, 1,705,276 shots have been given in the province and 822,754 people have received two shots and are considered fully vaccinated.

More than 26 per cent of the new cases that were eligible to be vaccinated had received two shots.