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The latest COVID-19 report from Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Health showed a drop in confirmed cases and deaths, but an increase in the number of outbreaks.
The ministry has moved to a new reporting system, which includes data on influenza and other respiratory illnesses and will be issued bi-weekly “during respiratory illness season.”
According to the first such report, Saskatchewan saw 474 COVID-19 cases between Oct. 2 and 8, a slight drop from the 556 cases confirmed the previous week. Deaths also dropped, with five in the most recent reporting period and 11 in the week prior.
“Confirmed cases and deaths have slightly decreased,” the ministry noted in its report. “Both are predominately among those 60 and older.”
Saskatchewan’s test positivity rate also declined in the most recent report, with 9.3 per cent of laboratory tests yielding positive results. That’s down from 11 per cent the week before.
The highest rate was found in the South East zone, around Weyburn and Estevan, where the test positivity rate for COVID-19 was 13.5 per cent.
But the news in the latest report wasn’t all positive, as outbreaks rose and COVID-19 patients are taking up a greater share of hospital beds.
There have been 17 COVID-19 outbreaks between Oct. 2 and Oct. 8 in Saskatchewan, a large jump from the 11 outbreaks reported between Sept. 25 and Oct. 1.
Hospitalizations also declined, the report showed, with 162 hospital admissions and nine ICU admissions in the latest reporting period.
That compares favourably to the 174 hospital admissions during the prior period, but COVID-19 patients are now occupying 11.1 per cent of staffed inpatient beds in the province, an increase from 10.4 per cent the previous week.
Saskatchewan’s vaccination rate for COVID-19 remained lower than the ministry would like to see, with the Regina zone the only one in the province where more than half of the population is up to date with COVID vaccines.
In the Queen City, 51 per cent of the population is up to date on COVID-19 vaccines, the report noted. Saskatoon was not far behind at 49 per cent and the lowest rate was found in the Far North Central zone, where only 14 per cent of residents are up to date on COVID vaccines.
No deaths or outbreaks from influenza were reported between Oct. 2 and 8.