'What's next?' Riders' Armstead focused on showdown with Ottawa
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"I have a 'What's next?' mentality," said Ryquell Armstead, who faces his former team on Saturday.
More than a quarter of the new COVID-19 cases reported in Saskatchewan on Friday were children aged 11 and under.
There were 576 new cases announced, including 147 kids under 12. That age group isn’t eligible to get vaccinated.
There have been 534 cases in that age group since Monday.
The Ministry of Health also reported four more deaths, all in the 80-and-over age group. Two people were from the Regina region, with one from each of the northwest and central-east zones.
To date, 741 Saskatchewan residents have died due to COVID, including 138 since Sept. 1.
Hospitalizations due to COVID fell to 343, with 71 people in intensive care.
A look at the numbers
The new cases reported Friday were in the Saskatoon (146), northwest (102), Regina (58), central-east (43), southeast (35), north-central (34), southwest (34), far northwest (31), far northeast (21), northeast (15), south-central (14), central-west (three) and far north-central (one) zones.
The hometowns of 39 cases are pending.
The cases included 469 people who weren’t vaccinated. In addition to those in the 11-and-under group, 85 people in their 30s, 61 individuals in their 40s and 60 people in their 20s also were among the unvaccinated new cases.
There also were 84 new infections among those considered fully vaccinated and 23 involving people who were partially vaccinated.
The total number of cases in Saskatchewan since the pandemic started stands at 71,034. There also have been 65,601 recoveries.
The active caseload rose by 128 to 4,692.
The hospitalizations included 261 people who weren’t fully vaccinated.
There were 4,657 COVID shots given, including 2,485 first doses and 2,172 second shots.
So far in Saskatchewan, 1.59 million doses have been administered and 749,188 people have received two doses.
Affidavits aren’t required
The Saskatchewan Health Authority reminded residents Friday that immunization against COVID is voluntary, so the affidavits people are getting to prove they don’t want to get vaccinated don’t serve any purpose.
“The Saskatchewan Health Authority requests that any individuals considering submitting an affidavit in response to COVID-19 immunization do not do so,” the SHA said in a release. “Affidavits are not entered into any health database and will be destroyed on receipt.”
Anyone who chooses not to be vaccinated or who can’t be vaccinated must have proof of a negative test to get into businesses and services included in the province’s vaccination policy.