The Saskatchewan government reported 10 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, ending a string of 17 straight days of single-digit cases.
Prior to Thursday, the last time there were more than six cases reported was Aug. 16, when the province announced 15 new cases.
The new cases reported Thursday — six in the Saskatoon area, two in the central-west zone and one each in the north-central and south-central regions — increased the provincial total to date to 1,634.
There were three more recoveries reported, hiking that number so far to 1,574. To date, 24 residents of the province have died due to complications from COVID-19.
The number of active cases increased to 36 — the first time that figure has gone up since Aug. 16.
According to the government’s media release, all 17 of the current active cases in the Saskatoon area and several of the other active cases in the province are directly related to out-of-province travel.
On Wednesday, the government discouraged non-essential interprovincial travel in hopes of limiting the potential spread of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan.
Two people are in hospital in Saskatoon, with one in intensive care.
The total number of cases in the province includes 66 health-care workers.
The total comprises 831 community contacts, 486 people without any known exposures, 241 travellers, and 76 cases that remain under investigation.
There have been 419 cases from the south area (216 southwest, 192 south-central, 11 southeast), 353 in the far north (347 far northwest, six far northeast), 267 from the Saskatoon area, 266 in the north zone (130 northwest, 70 north-central, 66 northeast), 197 from the central area (163 central-west, 34 central-east) and 132 in the Regina region.
So far, 525 cases have been in the 20-to-39 age range, 499 have been between the ages of 40 and 59, 277 have been aged 60 to 79, 275 have involved people 19 and under, and 58 people have been 80 and over.
There were 1,325 tests done in Saskatchewan on Wednesday. The provincial total now stands at 143,451.