December data shows 1 per cent of Sask. COVID cases were hospitalized

The Government of Saskatchewan said that information released on Tuesday shows how COVID-19 vaccinations continue to protect people against severe illness.

The COVID-19 Vaccination and Breakthrough Infections report for December showed just over 1 per cent (65 cases) of the 4,621 cases last month were hospitalized. Intensive care estimates were 3.5 per 100,000 for unvaccinated and 0.4 per 100,000 for fully vaccinated.

December’s vaccine and breakthrough report is the first to include booster dose information.

Case, hospitalization breakdown

Of the 4,621 COVID-19 cases reported in December, 1,368 (29.6 per cent) were unvaccinated or tested positive within three weeks of receiving their first vaccination, 2,804 cases (60.7 per cent) were fully vaccinated.

Of the 2,804 cases with a second dose, 250 (8.9 per cent) had comorbid conditions and 159 (5.7 per cent) were 65 or older.

Of the 4,621 cases, 65 (1.4 per cent) were hospitalized with 31 of those (47.7 per cent of hospitalized cases) unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. Of these 65 cases who were hospitalized, two people (3.1 per cent) were younger than five years of age and 26 people (40 per cent) were 65 years and older.

Of the 4,621 cases last month, 15 (0.3 per cent) cases were admitted to ICU. None of the cases were younger than 20 years old and the two ICU cases with their third/booster dose both had comorbid conditions — ten of those cases (66.7 per cent) were unvaccinated.

Seven people died due to COVID-19 last month, four of whom were unvaccinated. There were no deaths reported in the group with the first booster dose and no deaths in December in people under 20 years old.

COVID-19 summary for January

From Jan. 5 to Jan. 11, 52,730 third and fourth doses have been administered in Saskatchewan. The total number of vaccines including boosters in the province now stands at 2,193,645.

Thirty-nine per cent of eligible residents age 18 and over have received a booster dose.

As of January 11, 88 per cent of residents 12 years and older and 84 per cent of residents five years older have received a first dose.

Eighty-four per cent of residents 12 years and older and 77 per cent of residents five years and older are fully vaccinated.

There have been 6,861 new cases of COVID-19 reported so far this month.