Latest COVID update Jan. 25: 1 death, 240 new cases, 3,272 active cases

A Saskatchewan resident in the 80-and-over age group has died due to COVID-19.

The individual, who lived in the north-central zone, is the 254th person from the province to die since the pandemic started in March. There have been 221 deaths since Nov. 22.

The Ministry of Health also reported there were 240 new cases Monday, increasing the total in the province to date to 22,416. One case that previously was listed in Saskatchewan’s count has been determined to be an out-of-province resident and has been removed from the province’s total.

The new cases reported Monday were in the Saskatoon (49), Regina (42), northeast (36), northwest (33), central-east (30), far northwest (17), north-central (12), southeast (six), central-west (five), far northeast (three), far north-central (two) and south-central (two) zones. The hometowns of three cases are unknown.

The seven-day average of new cases is 265, or 21.6 cases per 100,000 population.

There were 217 recoveries announced Monday, increasing that total so far to 18,890. There are 3,272 active cases being reported in Saskatchewan.

The number of people in intensive care stands at 32 — 14 in the Saskatoon area, 11 in the Regina region, two in each of the northwest and north-central zones, and one in each of the central-east, southwest and south-central areas.

The 170 people receiving inpatient care are in the Saskatoon (69), Regina (39), north-central (27), northwest (13), central-east (eight), southeast (four), far northwest (three), central-west (three), northeast (two), southwest (one) and south-central (one) areas.

The number of health-care workers who have contracted the virus has increased to 1,295, up 572 in January alone.

There have been 5,923 cases in the north, 5,910 in the Saskatoon zone, 4,059 from the Regina region, 3,001 in the far north, 2,141 from the south, and 1,291 in the central zone. Residence information is pending on 91 cases.

The 20-to-39 age group has had the most cases in the province so far with 8,080, followed by the 40-to-59 group (5,640), the 19-and-under category (4,893), the 60-to-79 group (2,826) and the 80-and-over range (972). The ages of five cases are under investigation.

There were 2,193 tests processed in the province on Sunday, increasing the total to date to 493,132.

Starting Monday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority is putting the wait times at its drive-through testing sites on its website. The wait times will be updated three to four times per day, depending on the hours of operation for each site.

Vaccination update

The Government of Saskatchewan said 102 per cent of the COVID vaccines received in the province so far have been administered.

“This overage is due to efficiencies in drawing extra doses from vials of vaccine received,” the health ministry said in its release.

There were 304 doses given Sunday — 149 in the Saskatoon area, 133 in the northwest and 11 in each of the far north-central and far northeast regions. The total given in Saskatchewan so far is 33,353.

Saskatchewan isn’t receive any shipments of vaccines this week; those are to resume Feb. 1.