Latest COVID update Oct. 26: 126 new cases, 10 deaths

Saskatchewan has reported its lowest daily total of new COVID-19 cases in more than two months.

However, one day after announcing there weren’t any deaths due to the coronavirus, the provincial government said Tuesday there were 10 more deaths.

The Ministry of Health announced there were 126 new infections, the fewest in a day since there were 107 on Aug. 17.

The latest new cases were detected in 1,496 tests, resulting in a test positivity rate of 8.4.

The latest fatalities included six people between the ages of 60 and 79, three individuals aged 80 and over and one person in the 40-to-59 age group.

There were three deaths reported in each of the Regina and central-east zones, and two in each of the Saskatoon and far northeast regions.

So far, 827 Saskatchewan residents have died as a result of COVID.

After 400 recoveries were announced Tuesday, the number of active cases fell to 2,538. It hasn’t been that low since it was 2,466 on Sept. 2.

There were 286 COVID patients in Saskatchewan hospitals, with 69 in intensive care units. Three ICU patients were transferred to Ontario, increasing the total so far to 12.

A look at the numbers

The new cases were reported in the Saskatoon (35), Regina (29), central-east (14), far northeast (eight), north-central (eight), southeast (six), northwest (six), far northwest (five), south-central (three), central-west (two), northeast (one) and southwest (one) regions.

The hometowns of eight cases are being determined.

The newest cases comprised 99 people who weren’t vaccinated, 23 who had received two doses and four who were partially vaccinated.

The seven-day average of new cases fell to 238, or 19.8 cases per 100,000 people.

To date, there have been 76,607 reported cases in the province and 73,242 recoveries.

The 1,007 vaccinations that were done included 357 first shots and 650 second shots.

To date, 783,344 residents of the province have received two doses. A total of nearly 1.65 million vaccinations have been done in Saskatchewan.

Public health orders

Last week, public health inspectors from the Saskatchewan Health Authority handed out three fines in Lloydminster and one in Vawn for violations of public health orders.

In Lloydminster, two people were fined $2,800 for failing to wear masks and Manhattan Inn Ltd., was fined $14,000 for failing to screen for proof of vaccination or a negative test.

An individual in Vawn was fined $2,800 for failing to ask for proof of vaccination or negative test.