Saskatchewan reports two more deaths due to COVID-19; total now at 10

For the first time in nearly two months, Saskatchewan has reported two COVID-19-related deaths on the same day.

The provincial government announced Wednesday two people from the far north — a person in their 60s and one in their 80s — had died due to complications from the coronavirus. That raises the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the province to date to 10.

The last time two deaths were reported on the same day was March 30.

The eighth death was announced Tuesday. This is the first time since the pandemic hit Saskatchewan that fatalities have been reported on consecutive days.

“This is a reminder to all of us that as we engage in safely reopening Saskatchewan, COVID is still around throughout Saskatchewan and we need to keep taking all the precautions we have to to prevent further transmission,” Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province’s chief medical health officer, said during a conference call with reporters.

The provincial government doesn’t identify victims, but one of the two individuals whose deaths were reported Wednesday is believed to be Nelda Maurice of Ile-a-la-Crosse.

Shahab provided a breakdown of the fatalities to date, noting there has been one death in the 40-to-59 age group, five deaths in the 60-to-79 age group, and four deaths among people aged 80 and over.

The government’s media release said there were three new cases in the province as of Wednesday, increasing the total so far to 637. Two of the new cases are in the Regina area, with the other in the far north.

Shahab couldn’t provide any information about the cases in Regina.

The far north remains the hotbed for cases in the province, with 253 of the total number being recorded in that area. The rest have been in Saskatoon (167), the north (111), Regina (78), the south (16) and the central region (12).

The total comprises 363 community contacts, 141 travellers, 77 people without any known exposures and 56 people who are under investigation by local public health officials.

There have been 227 cases in the 20-to-39 age range, 195 between the ages of 40 and 59, 104 in the 60-to-79 age range, 93 involving people 19 years and under, and 18 in the 80-and-over range.

Ten more recoveries were announced, hiking the province’s total to date to 559. It’s the 17th straight day that the number of recoveries exceeded the number of new cases.

There currently are 68 active cases, comprising 55 in the far north, six in Saskatoon, four in the north, two in Regina and one in the south. The central region doesn’t have any active cases.

Four people are in hospital, including three in intensive care in Saskatoon and one who’s receiving inpatient care in Regina.

There have been 44 hospitalizations in the province to date. Shahab said that included one person aged 19 or under, one person in the 20-to-29 range, two people in the 30-to-39 range, 11 in the 40-to-49 range, six between the ages of 50 and 59, eight between the ages of 60 and 69, eight aged 70 to 79, and seven in the 80-and-over age range.

The relatively low numbers in the higher age ranges suggest to Shahab that precautions taken in regards to long-term care homes have protected the province’s more vulnerable residents from the virus.

There were 538 tests done in the province Tuesday, doubling Monday’s total of 268. To date, 45,118 tests have been performed in the province.

The province opened up testing Monday to more people, including those who are working outside the home or who will be returning to work as Saskatchewan’s economy reopens. It’s unknown if the higher number of tests done Tuesday reflects the fact more people are coming forward.

“I think it’s too early to say there’s a definite trend,” said Scott Livingstone, the CEO of the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

“But I do know that over the last few days we have seen an uptick of calls and referrals to 811 and we are seeing folks being tested in the new categories of testing — so that includes those people working outside the home, health-care workers and immuno-compromised patients and people who are immuno-compromised.”

Gatherings still capped

The province reminded residents the attendance at public and private gatherings still can’t exceed 10 people, as per the public health order.

Physical distancing of at least two metres must continue, extended household groups must feature the same participants, and people who gather should remember the names of those with whom they’ve had contact over the previous two weeks to facilitate contact tracing in the event of a positive test.