Sask. reports four new COVID cases, 12 more recoveries, 34 active cases

For the first time since mid-June, the number of active COVID-19 cases being reported in Saskatchewan is under 40.

The provincial government said Monday there were four new cases and 12 more recoveries, dropping the number of active cases to 34.

The last time that number was under 40 was June 14, when there were 24 active cases reported.

The four new cases announced Monday — one each in the Saskatoon, central-east, southwest and south-central zones — increased the total in the province to date to 1,619.

It’s the 15th straight day with a single-digit case total.

There were 285 cases reported in Saskatchewan in August after 549 cases were recorded in July. There were 184 cases reported in March, 205 in April, 256 in May and 140 in June.

The recoveries reported Monday hiked that total so far to 1,561. To date, 24 residents of the province have died after testing positive for COVID-19.

Five of the 34 active cases are in communal living settings such as Hutterite colonies.

“As the number of active cases in communal living settings is now very low, it will no longer be reported separately unless the number of active cases in these settings rises above 20,” the province said in its media release.

Three people are in hospital in Saskatoon, with two in intensive care in Saskatoon.

So far, there have been 417 cases from the south area (216 southwest, 190 south-central, 11 southeast), 353 in the far north region (347 far northwest, six far northeast), 262 from the north zone (128 northwest, 68 north-central, 66 northeast), 260 in the Saskatoon area, 195 from the central area (161 central-west, 34 central-east) and 132 in the Regina region.

The total comprises 826 community contacts, 483 people without any known exposures, 237 travellers and 73 people who remain under investigation by local public health officials.

So far, 66 Saskatchewan health-care workers have tested positive.

The total includes 521 cases in the 20-to-39 age range, 494 between the ages of 40 and 59, 277 from age 60 to 79, 269 involving people 19 and under, and 58 who are 80 and over.

There were 981 tests done in the province on Sunday, increasing the total to date to 140,253.