Latest COVID update Jan. 29: 7 deaths, 328 new cases

Saskatchewan reported Friday its highest single-day total of new COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks.

In a media release, the Ministry of Health said there were 328 new cases — the highest-such number since 382 cases were announced Jan. 15.

The seven-day average of new cases increased to 247, or 20.1 per 100,000 population.

The province also reported seven more deaths due to COVID, increasing the total to date in Saskatchewan to 292.

Three people in the 80-and-over age group (two from the Regina area and one from the northwest), three individuals in their 70s (one each from the Regina, Saskatoon and northwest zones) and a person in their 50s from the northeast passed away.

The new cases reported Friday were in the Saskatoon (90), Regina (58), far northwest (30), northwest (27), north-central (26), central-east (25), southeast (19), far northeast (16), northeast (13), central-west (nine), far north-central (three), south-central (three) and southwest (one) zones. The hometowns of eight cases are pending.

There have been 23,366 COVID cases in Saskatchewan since March.

The 300 recoveries reported Friday hiked that total so far to 20,575. There are 2,499 active cases being reported in the province, including 643 in Saskatoon and 441 in Regina.

The 218 hospitalizations included 33 people in intensive care — 15 in the Saskatoon area, 11 in the Regina region, three in the northwest, two in the central-east zone and one in each of the north-central and southwest areas.

There are 185 people receiving inpatient care in Saskatchewan, including 68 in the Saskatoon area, 42 in the Regina zone and 28 in the north-central range.

The province processed 3,100 COVID tests on Thursday, increasing its total to date to 503,143.

Vaccination update

After Pfizer and Moderna both announced they were reducing shipments to Canada in the coming weeks, the province said Friday it was changing its vaccine distribution schedule.

“The bulk of doses received next month must be used for second dose requirements, and some communities originally slated to receive first doses will see delays,” the ministry said in its release. “Swift Current and Regina were slated to receive vaccine delivery next week for first dose administration to priority groups, but that will be rescheduled.”

Despite not getting any shipments this week, health officials still managed to administer shots by getting extra doses from vials that previously had been received.

There were 308 shots given Thursday — 233 in the Saskatoon zone, 33 in the far north-central area, 22 in the central-east region, and 20 in the southeast. As well, information received from Wednesday showed another 111 doses had been given.

The total number of vaccinations so far in Saskatchewan is 35,091.