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One of the ICU patients Saskatchewan transferred to Ontario for treatment has died.
In its daily COVID-19 update Friday, Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Health reported the death. It’s the first such fatality since the province started transferring ICU patients to Ontario to ease the strain on the health-care system.
Meanwhile, the number of COVID patients in Saskatchewan hospitals has dropped under 200 for the first time in nearly two months — although that doesn’t include more than 20 patients who have been transferred to Ontario.
The Ministry of Health said there were 197 people with COVID in Saskatchewan’s health-care facilities — a decline of 17 from Thursday’s update.
It’s the first time since Sept. 12 the number of hospitalizations in Saskatchewan was under 200.
The total Friday included 49 people in intensive care, the same number as was reported Thursday. There were 18 people in ICU in Regina, an increase of three from the day before.
The number of hospitalizations due to COVID in the province has fallen by more than 44 per cent since Oct. 6, when it stood at 356.
The province has tried to reduce the strain on the health-care system by sending ICU patients to Ontario for treatment. There currently are 22 Saskatchewan residents receiving treatment in Ontario.
The ministry also reported 141 new cases, 126 recoveries and two deaths. Both fatalities were in the 60-to-79 age group.
One death previously reported by the province was determined not to be a result of COVID and was removed from the total. To date, 863 Saskatchewan residents have died due to COVID.
A look at the numbers
The new cases reported Friday increased the province’s total to date to 78,403.
The latest cases were in the Regina (33), Saskatoon (23), southeast (23), central-east (22), northwest (13), north-central (five), south-central (five), southwest (four), far northwest (two), far northeast (two), central-west (two) and northeast (one) zones. The hometowns of six cases are still being determined.
The total included 85 people who weren’t vaccinated, 47 people who had received two doses of COVID vaccine and were considered fully vaccinated, and nine individuals who were partially vaccinated.
The unvaccinated total included 32 kids under the age of 11.
There were 2,336 tests done in the province, resulting in a test positivity rate of 6.0.
The seven-day average of new COVID cases dropped to 156, or 13.0 per 100,000 population.
To date, there have been 75,744 recoveries. The active caseload rose by 14 from Thursday’s count to 1,796.
The 3,418 latest vaccinations done in the province comprised 1,035 first shots and 2,383 second shots. To date, 1.68 million shots have been given in Saskatchewan, with 804,759 people considered fully vaccinated.