Murray Wood: Arrest in 2001 Saskatoon assault case should make perpetrators worried
A 52-year-old man has been charged in connection with a 2001 sexual assault allegation in Saskatoon. Murray Wood says he...
Another four Saskatchewan residents have died after testing positive for COVID-19, matching the highest single-day total of deaths seen in the province so far during the pandemic.
The latest update from the provincial government reported the deaths, three of which occurred in the Saskatoon area; the other was in the province’s south zone.
Three of the individuals were over 80 years old, while one Saskatoon victim was in the 60-to-79 age range. There have been 14 deaths in the province over the past six days, increasing the number of COVID-related deaths in Saskatchewan to 51.
Another 181 new cases were reported, the lowest tally in a week that has seen positive cases increase significantly in Saskatchewan. The provincial total has reached 8,745 positive cases, with 3,819 considered active.
The latest update also includes 273 recoveries, which is the highest number of recoveries reported in a single day since the pandemic began. There are now 4,875 people in Saskatchewan who have recovered from COVID.
New cases were reported in the Regina (67), Saskatoon (41), far northeast (15), far northwest (12), northwest (10), north-central (eight), southeast (seven), southwest (five), south-central (four), central-west (three), central-east (two), and northeast (one) zones. Residence location for another six cases has not yet been determined.
The seven-day average of daily new cases is 264 (21.8 new cases per 100,000 population).
The number of people in hospital with COVID dropped slightly since Monday’s record high, down to 121 from 123.
That includes 24 intensive care patients, with 13 in the Saskatoon zone, seven in the Regina zone, and four in the north-central zone.
Another 93 people are receiving inpatient care, including 33 in Saskatoon, 26 in Regina, 17 in the southeast, seven each in the northwest and north-central areas, three in the southwest, and one each in the far northwest, northeast, central-east, and south-central zones.
Cases among health-care workers continued to increase, up to 261.
Saskatoon continues to see the highest number of the 8,745 confirmed cases, with 2,644 cases originating in the city and surrounding area. Another 1,763 cases have been reported in the north, 1,596 cases are from the Regina area, 1,138 cases have been confirmed in the south, 940 are from the far north, and 633 cases from the central area.
The majority of cases so far — 3,112 — are in the 20-to-39 age range, with 2,337 in the 40-to-59 age range, 1,156 in the 60-to-79 age range, and 328 in the 80-plus range. There have been 1,807 cases among people 19 and under.
There were 2,431 COVID-19 processed in Saskatchewan on Monday, with 347,918 processed to date. The latest data shows that as of Sunday, the province had tested 222,074 people per million population, compared to the national rate of 305,290.
New testing option introduced
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is also announcing a new initiative to increase daily testing numbers and provide more options for people who need proof of a negative COVID test for work or travel.
Focused on people who do not show symptoms, the partnership with Quantum Genetix Canada aims to increase the province’s testing capacity by 350 tests per day by the end of the year.
The SHA believes the agricultural technology company can help address the needs of those who have taken a backseat in the testing hierarchy.
“Our Laboratory Medicine team has been working incredibly hard to provide test results in a timely manner,” said Lenore Howey, the SHA’s executive director of laboratory medicine. “However, given the high demand for testing and our focus on prioritizing testing for people with symptoms before people or travelers without symptoms, it’s been challenging to provide timely results for asymptomatic travelers, especially within the tight timelines required by airlines and international destinations.”
Quantam Genetix’s website states it has worked closely with the SHA to “provide the same standard and quality of testing as they are offering to the people of Saskatchewan.” A $150 fee will be charged, and the company will “endeavour to report results within 24-48 hours from the time they are received in the laboratory.”
