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For the second time in as many days, the province doled out its highest daily number of COVID-19 vaccination doses Saturday.
In its daily update, the Ministry of Health reported 12,615 vaccine doses were given out a day after announcing 11,634 doses were administered. The total number of vaccinations given now sits at 268,895.
Doses were given in the far northwest (268), far north-central (seven), far northeast (225), northwest (776), north-central (704), northeast (964), Saskatoon (2,321), central-west (700), central-east (1,588), Regina (1,565), southwest (871), south-central (578) and southeast (1,664) zones Friday. Three hundred eighty-four doses were administered without hometown information.
Forty-seven per cent of Saskatchewan residents age 50 or older have received their first dose, according to the province.
A look at the numbers
The province reported 236 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing the provincial total to 35,983 cases.
The new cases are located in the far northwest (six), far northeast (two), northwest (11), north-central (five), northeast (four), Saskatoon (35), central-west (two), central-east (seven), Regina (91), southwest (10), south-central (19) and southeast (30) zones.
Fourteen new cases are waiting for hometown information. Three cases previously without a hometown have been assigned to north-central (one), Regina (one) and southeast (one) zones. One case was found to be from out of province and was removed from the southeast zone.
As of Friday, 3,212 variants of concern have been identified by screening in Saskatchewan, reported in the far northwest (two), far northeast (four), northwest (eight), north-central (26), northeast (two), Saskatoon (190), central-west (14), central-east (80), Regina (2,253), southwest (26), south-central (285) and southeast (301) zones. Twenty-one cases are pending hometown information.
There are a total of 2,381 cases considered active. There were 191 new recoveries, bringing the total so far to 33,149.
No new deaths were reported Saturday.
One hundred and ninety-two people are in hospital, including 46 people in intensive care units.
Of the 146 people receiving inpatient care, two are located in the far northwest, one in the far northeast, four in the northwest, three in the north-central, two in the northeast, 38 in Saskatoon, 13 in the central-east, 75 in Regina, two in the south-central and six in the southeast.
The 46 people being treated in intensive care units are located in the north-central (five), Saskatoon (nine), central-east (three), Regina (24) southwest (two) and south-central (three) zones.
The seven-day average of daily new cases is 235, or 19.2 new cases per 100,000 population.
There were 3,439 COVID-19 tests processed in Saskatchewan Friday.
Vaccination booking system eligibility to remain at 55 and older over weekend
Saskatchewan’s vaccine booking system eligibility was expanded to all individuals 55 years and older Friday morning.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority said the eligibility won’t be expanded Saturday or Sunday in a separate news release.
The Regina COVID-19 vaccine drive-thru will be administering Pfizer vaccines Saturday for people aged 52, 53 and 54 years old, with possible changes to age ranges as demand allows in the coming days. The clinic will be first come first serve, open 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily at Evraz Place on the Regina Exhibition grounds.
Drive-thru opening in Lloydminster, vaccine delivery changes
An additional drive-through vaccination clinic will open in Lloydminster Sunday.
The clinic at 5521 49 Avenue is available for people 55 and older on the date of immunization. The clinic will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on a first-come basis.
With variants of concern cases rising in parts of the province, the health authority is looking at additional ways to get younger people vaccinated sooner. Some vaccine brands may be changed at some clinics in order to remove any age-barriers that prevent immunization of younger residents, the SHA news release said.
Similar to what’s already begun in Regina, communities like Prince Albert, North Battleford, Humboldt, Moose Jaw, Watrous and Saskatoon will be using AstraZeneca in their booked appointments, as well as at their drive-throughs in the coming days.
The province is also reminding people that an expected shipment of 19,300 Moderna vaccine doses will be delayed. This delay will affect the opening of many clinics across the province next week.