Latest COVID update Jan. 25: 1,049 new cases, 2 new deaths

For the second consecutive day, the number of active COVID-19 cases being reported in Saskatchewan has fallen.

However, hospitals in the Saskatoon area are treating a record number of COVID patients.

In its daily update Tuesday, the Ministry of Health said there were 1,147 new recoveries, 1,049 new cases and two deaths. The active case count fell by 101 from Monday’s update to 12,652.

The number of new cases announced only includes results of tests done by health-care officials or test results that have been reported to public health.

COVID-related hospitalizations in the Saskatoon zone increased to a record high Tuesday at 150, an increase of 26 compared to Monday’s update. Five more people are in the ICU and an additional 21 people are receiving inpatient care.

The region’s previous record of 137 was set on Oct. 14 and matched on Oct. 18.

Provincewide, there were 291 people in hospital, the most since Oct. 25.

The two COVID-related deaths involved one person between the ages of 20 and 39 and one person from the 60-to-79 age group. The southeast and north-central regions each reported one fatality.

To date, 977 Saskatchewan residents have died due to COVID.

A look at the numbers

The new cases were reported in the Saskatoon (369), Regina (162), north-central (98), central-east (68), northwest (65), south-central (30), southeast (26), northeast (24), southwest (21), far northwest (18), far northeast (15) and central-west (five) zones. The hometowns of 148 cases are pending.

Sixty-four people who tested positive outside of the province were added to Saskatchewan’s total, which stood at 111,447. There have been 97,818 recoveries announced to date.

The 258 inpatients in Saskatchewan hospitals included 120 incidental COVID infections, 112 people who went to hospital for a COVID-related illness, and 26 whose reason for seeking treatment has yet to be determined.

The ICU admissions included 22 people who had a COVID-related illness, five who had incidental COVID infections and three whose status was undetermined.

The ICU total also included three individuals in pediatric or neonatal ICUs.

There were 1,368 doses of COVID vaccine administered in the province, comprising 359 first shots and 1,009 second shots.

To date, nearly 1.84 million COVID shots have been given in Saskatchewan, with 888,371 of them second shots.

More fines issued

Between Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, the province’s COVID enforcement team issued 15 tickets for failing to abide by the current public health orders.

Two businesses were fined $14,000 each for failing to check for proof of vaccination. Those were The Beacon Coffeehouse in Caronport and The Jug Bar and Grill in Eston.

Another 13 fines of $2,800 were handed out for failing to wear a mask to five people in Hudson Bay, two individuals in Tisdale and one in each of Oxbow, Sedley, Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Weyburn and Milden.