The COVID-related death toll in Saskatchewan has risen to 53.
In a media release Wednesday, the Ministry of Health reported the deaths of two Saskatchewan residents who had tested positive for COVID-19.
One was a person between the ages of 60 and 79 who lived in the Regina region. The other individual was over the age of 80 and lived in the north zone.
The province has reported eight COVID-related deaths in the past three days and 16 fatalities in the past week.
The ministry also reported there were 238 new cases Wednesday, increasing the total in the province to date to 8,982 cases.
The new cases reported Wednesday were in the Saskatoon (109), Regina (36), north-central (25), northwest (17), far northeast (16), southwest (eight), far northwest (six), central-east (four), far north-central (three), northeast (three), southeast (three) and south-central (one) zones.
The hometowns of seven cases are being determined.
The seven-day average of new cases is 274, or 22.6 per 100,000 population.
There were 84 recoveries reported Wednesday, increasing that total so far to 4,959.
As of Wednesday, there were 3,970 active case being reported. That included 1,340 cases in the Saskatoon area, 864 in the Regina region, 423 in the north-central zone and 301 in the northwest.
The province reported there were 132 people in hospital, a new single-day high. That included 26 people in intensive care, with 12 in the Saskatoon area, nine in the Regina zone and five in the north-central area.
The 106 people receiving inpatient care were spread between the Saskatoon (42), Regina (23), southeast (20), northwest (seven), north-central (seven), central-east (two), southwest (two), far northwest (one), northeast (one) and south-central (one) areas.
Also Wednesday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority said because of COVID activity in Regina, it was limiting family presence and visitation to compassionate care reasons only in all acute-care facilities operated by the authority in the city.
The restrictions are to take effect Thursday at 8 a.m., and will be reassessed 14 days later.
All long-term and personal care homes in Regina implemented those restrictions last month.
A look at the numbers
The number of health-care workers who have contracted the virus rose to 268 on Wednesday, more than double what it was on Nov. 15. On that date, the number stood at 141.
The total number of cases in the province comprises 3,812 community contacts, 2,546 that are under investigation by local public health, 2,144 that don’t have any known exposures, and 480 travellers.
There have been 2,752 cases from the Saskatoon area so far, 1,809 from the north, 1,634 in the Regina region, 1,151 from the south, 966 in the far north, and 637 in the central area. The hometowns of 33 cases are pending.
The total includes 3,191 cases in the 20-to-39 age range, 2,406 between the ages of 40 and 59, 1,862 involving people 19 and under, 1,184 from ages 60 to 79, and 334 in the 80-and-over age range. The ages of five cases are pending.
The 2,473 tests processed in Saskatchewan on Tuesday increased the provincial total to date to 350,391.
More to come.