Sask. records 13 influenza deaths as flu, COVID cases decline

While COVID-19 cases continue to decline in Saskatchewan, the flu has claimed 13 more lives.

According to the latest respiratory illness report from the Ministry of Health, COVID cases dropped for the fifth straight week, with 307 cases detected in the week ending on Dec. 9 and 262 cases detected between Dec. 10 and last Saturday.

One more COVID-19 death was added during that two-week span, bringing the total number of COVID deaths in Saskatchewan since the start of the pandemic up to 2,028.

The ministry said 56 COVID-19 patients were in hospital and six were in intensive care. Those numbers were 90 and seven the previous week.

Six COVID outbreaks were reported last week, down from eight the previous week and 10 the week before that.

Meanwhile, influenza numbers are also on the decline, but the province added 13 new flu-related deaths in the two-week period covered by the latest report. The previous two reports each noted five flu-related deaths.

According to the ministry, the week ending Saturday saw 19 flu-related hospital admissions and seven ICU admissions. The previous week saw 18 hospital and 12 ICU admissions.

The week ending Dec. 9 saw 867 positive tests for influenza, while the week ending on Saturday saw 578. Influenza A was the most commonly detected virus in Saskatchewan between Dec. 3 and Saturday.

The test-positivity rate for influenza was has also declined, from 31.1 per cent in the week ending Dec. 9 to 25.2 per cent last week.

There were five influenza outbreaks reported last week, and five the previous week.

Cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were up slightly, with 111 positive tests included in the most recent report, up from 93 in the previous report.

According to the ministry, weekly emergency department visits for respiratory-like illnesses dropped to 32.2 per 1,000 last week. In the week ending on Dec. 9, that rate was 33.3 per 1,000 people.

Saskatchewan health officials have encouraged everyone to ensure their flu and COVID-19 immunizations are up to date.