Latest COVID update Nov. 17

Saskatchewan reported 240 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, shortly before the provincial government announced increased restrictions.

The number reported Tuesday was the second-highest single-day total of new COVID cases in the province since March, behind only the 308 reported on Sunday.

There have been 2,288 cases in the province since the start of November. Because of that, Premier Scott Moe and Dr. Saqib Shahab — the province’s chief medical health officer — unveiled stricter COVID measures during a news conference.

The provincial government levied some new restrictions Friday, but many groups — including more than 400 physicians who signed a letter to Moe and Shahab — said those measures didn’t go far enough.

In its Tuesday update, the Ministry of Health said 97 of the new cases were from the Saskatoon area and 27 were from the Regina region.

The other cases were in the south-central (23), northwest (16), southeast (16), north-central (12), central-west (11), far northeast (six), far north-central (five), far northwest (five), southwest (four), central-east (three) and northeast (two) zones.

The hometowns of 13 new cases are pending.

The total number of cases in Saskatchewan since March is now 5,422.

There were 113 recoveries reported, increasing that total so far to 3,336. To date, 31 residents of the province have died after testing positive for COVID-19.

The number of active cases being reported in Saskatchewan is now 2,055.

There are 71 people in hospital, an all-time high in Saskatchewan due to COVID. That includes 15 patients in intensive care; seven of those are in Saskatoon, with four in Regina and two in each of the north-central and central-east zeons.

Of the 56 people receiving inpatient care, 30 are in Saskatoon, six are in the southeast zone, six are in the north-central region, four are in the southwest, three are in Regina, three are in the northwest, two are in the northeast, one is in the far northwest and one is in the south-central area.

The number of health-care workers in the province who have contracted the virus rose to 152, an increase of 53 since the end of October.

To date, there have been 1,562 cases from the Saskatoon area, 1,147 in the north, 790 in the Regina region, 716 from the south zone, 678 from the far north, and 495 from the central area. The hometowns of 34 cases are pending.

The total comprises 2,351 community contacts (including mass gatherings), 1,549 cases that are under investigation by public health officials, 1,105 cases that don’t have any known exposures, and 417 travellers.

There have been 1,987 cases in the 20-to-39 age range, 1,480 from ages 40 to 59, 1,139 involving people 19 and under, 660 between the ages of 60 and 79, and 151 aged 80 and over. The ages of five cases are still being determined.

The 2,803 tests done in the province on Monday increased the total to date to 303,641.