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More adult players are now investing in the protective equipment.
For the first time in 10 days, Saskatchewan didn’t report a death due to COVID-19 in its daily update Thursday.
However, as of Wednesday, the province still had the country’s highest rate of deaths over the past two weeks, at 5.4. The Northwest Territories was second at 4.4.
To date, 862 Saskatchewan residents have died due to COVID.
The Ministry of Health also reported 188 new cases of COVID as well as 170 recoveries. The number of active cases rose to 1,782 — the first time in 13 days that number has risen.
Hospitalizations due to COVID fell by 12 from Wednesday’s report to 214, including 49 people in intensive care.
As of Thursday, 24 ICU patients from Saskatchewan were receiving treatment in Ontario. Three already have returned to the province, with another one set to return on Thursday.
A look at the numbers
The new cases were reported in the Saskatoon (33), Regina (28), southeast (27), north-central (26), central-east (24), far northwest (18), northwest (13), southwest (five), far northeast (three) and south-central (three). The hometowns of eight cases are pending.
The new cases included 127 people who weren’t vaccinated, with 49 of those under the age of 11 — the age group that currently isn’t eligible to get immunized against the virus.
There also were 53 cases among those who were fully vaccinated and eight who were partially vaccinated.
The infections were found in 2,409 tests, for a test positivity rate of 7.8.
The seven-day average of new COVID cases fell to 170, or 14.1 per 100,000 residents.
To date, Saskatchewan has reported 78,262 cases and 75,618 recoveries.
There were 3,357 COVID vaccinations done, with 1,012 first shots and 2,345 second shots. There have been 1,676,433 doses delivered so far, and 802,376 people have received two shots and are considered fully vaccinated.
Long-term care statistics
According to data from the Ministry of Health, 154 residents of long-term care homes died as a result of COVID between March of 2020 and Oct. 18.
Of those deaths, 62 occurred in private, non-profit homes, 45 were in private, for-profit homes and 47 were in homes run by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
That means one in 13 residents died in private, for-profit homes, one in 41 seniors passed away in private, non-profit homes, and one in 108 residents died in SHA homes.
Seniors Minister Everett Hindley told reporters the government is working on a new inspection process for long-term care homes, which is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
— With files from The Canadian Press