COVID, influenza both on the rise in Saskatchewan: Ministry of Health

COVID-19 cases, outbreaks and deaths are all on the rise in Saskatchewan, according to the Ministry of Health.

In the latest biweekly update, the ministry reported 1,154 new cases – 488 in the week of Oct. 9-15 and 666 from Oct. 16 through this past Saturday. There were 474 new cases in the week of Oct. 2-8.

The number of deaths rose from 11 in the week of Oct. 9-15 to 15 in the seven days ending Saturday, while outbreaks rose from 12 to 16 week over week.

Saskatchewan’s test positivity rate increased, climbing to 11.6 per cent from 9.8 per cent the week prior. The southeast region had the highest positivity rate this past week at 22.4 per cent, while the lowest rate was in the far north-central region, with no tests coming back positive.

The ministry said the Omicron BA.5 sublineages of BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are increasing, while the province also has reported the first three cases of the BF.7 sublineage.

As of Saturday, COVID patients were occupying 11.6 per cent of staffed inpatient beds in Saskatchewan’s hospitals, the ministry noted, and that figure was unchanged from the previous week.

There were eight COVID-related ICU admissions in the past week, down from 14 the week before. But there were 187 hospital admissions from Oct. 16 through Saturday, an increase from 165 the previous week.

Just 46 per cent of Saskatchewan residents are up to date on their COVID vaccines, the report noted. That figure has not changed since late-September, according to the report.

The Regina area has the highest vaccination rate, at 52 per cent. The lowest rate was found in the far north-central zone, where just 14 per cent of people are up to speed on COVID shots.

Flu season begins

The coming of fall means the start of flu season, and influenza rates were also included in the ministry’s latest report.

In the week ending Saturday, Saskatchewan saw 15 new cases of influenza, up from just three the week before. About 2.5 per cent of influenza tests are now coming back positive, the report noted, but no deaths or outbreaks related to influenza have yet been reported in Saskatchewan.

Hospitalization data for influenza was not included in the report.

The flu shot program is up and running in Saskatchewan, and so far, nine per cent of the eligible population is up to date on flu vaccines.

According to the report, the test positivity rate for other respiratory viruses in the province (46 per cent) is four times that of COVID-19 (11.6 per cent).