Latest COVID update July 2: 21 new cases, active cases fall to 405

Numbers continue to fall on the COVID-19 front in Saskatchewan — except in terms of vaccinations.

The Ministry of Health reported Friday there were 21 new cases in the province, down from 34 on Thursday.

The number of active cases being reported in the province fell to 405, its lowest mark since it was 398 on Oct. 19.

The seven-day average of new cases dropped to 38; the last time it was that low was Oct. 20.

And the number of hospitalizations in Saskatchewan due to COVID fell to 57, the first time it has been that low since Nov. 14.

Meanwhile, the province reported 20,981 COVID vaccinations had been done, one day after announcing there were 19,834 shots given.

The total reported Friday included 18,932 second doses and 2,049 first shots. On Thursday, the total comprised 17,910 second doses and 1,924 first shots.

So far, 1,194,535 doses have been administered in Saskatchewan. To date, 466,374 residents have received both shots and are considered fully vaccinated.

According to the government, 71 per cent of those 12 and over in the province have received their first dose and 45 per cent of those 12 and up are fully vaccinated.

A look at the numbers

The new cases reported Friday were in the Regina (seven), far northwest (five), Saskatoon (four), far north-central (one), northwest (one), north-central (one), central-east (one) and southwest (one) zones.

The province’s total to date stands at 48,882 cases.

Ten more cases of variants of concern were identified by screening, increasing that total to 12,175. Of the 7,242 variant cases with lineages identified by whole genome sequencing , 6,675 are Alpha, 348 are Gamma, 209 are Delta and 10 are Beta.

There were 36 recoveries announced Friday, increasing the total to date to 47,909. There weren’t any COVID-related deaths reported in the province Thursday or Friday.

The active cases include 87 in Saskatoon and 74 in Regina.

There are 45 COVID patients receiving inpatient care in Saskatchewan hospitals and 12 in intensive care. Those latter cases are in the Saskatoon (five), Regina (three), northwest (two) and north-central (two) zones.

Saskatoon has a total of 24 people in hospital with COVID, the fewest since Nov. 10.

The 1,779 tests done in Saskatchewan on Thursday increased the province’s total to date to 920,303.

Vaccinations

The latest shots were given in the Saskatoon (7,251), Regina (5,904), central-east (2,044), southeast (1,150), south-central (845), north-central (719), central-west (642), northwest (524), southwest (460), northeast (427), far northwest (256), far northeast (165) and far north-central (three).

The hometowns of 591 recipients are being determined.